Alpaca Farm in Mitzpe Ramon: Who It Suits, and Who It Doesn’t
Alpaca Farm sits in Mitzpe Ramon, in the Negev highlands, and it is right for guests who are ready to slow down: families whose children want to feed an animal from an open palm, couples after a quiet night in the desert, and anyone arriving for a retreat who would like the alpacas and llamas to be part of the stay. It is a poorer fit for anyone expecting a hotel with served meals, rides on the animals, or a dog along for the trip. We lay out both sides plainly here, so you know before you come whether this is your kind of place.
Who Alpaca Farm suits
We are a small family farm that keeps things personal, and we have raised alpacas for their wool since 1987, close to forty years now. Ilan and Naama Dvir founded the farm, and the atmosphere has stayed true to that: authentic, with real animals and real landscape, not a place designed to look good on Instagram. If that is what you are after, you will feel at home.
Families with children are our regular guests, and that includes the very small ones. The activities are safe and hands-on even for young children, who feed the alpacas, stroke them and take selfies with them. There are craft corners for kids and coffee and rest corners for parents. The farm is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers, so grandparents and a baby in a pram can wander at an easy pace too.
Couples will find quiet desert lodging with roomy yurts, a view, and dark skies at night. And those running or joining a retreat, whether yoga, meditation or a sound weekend, find a space set up for groups, with a studio, a geodesic dome and complete stillness for watching the sun go down.
Who it is less suited to
Better to know in advance: dogs and other animals cannot enter the farm. If you are bringing a service dog, entry needs to be arranged with the farm office. There is no riding on the animals for the general public, and on a llama picnic you cannot ride the llama, only walk beside it. Gentle riding workshops run for pre-arranged groups only.
Camping is not possible, and lodging is only in our accommodation areas. The farm does not serve meals. Instead there are equipped kitchens for cooking yourselves, so anyone looking for a dining room with a buffet will find a different kind of stay here. There is no amplified music, only calm instrumental music when it fits. Mobile reception and Wi-Fi are available, but connections are sometimes patchy, so anyone who has to be reachable every minute should plan around that.
A day at Alpaca Farm: feeding, wool and the mill
About 250 animals live on the farm: alpacas, llamas, goats, horses, donkeys, dogs, ducks and a camel. The alpacas and llamas were brought to Israel from the Andes in South America, and they are cousins in the camel family who share a common ancestor. You can learn how they differ on the guided tour, and feed them from your hand in between. Every visitor receives a feeding bag with the entrance ticket, and extra bags cost 5 NIS.
Experiential guided tours run on every full hour and include a visit to the wool mill. It is one of the few places where you can see the whole process in one spot, from the alpaca to the sweater, and the farm is the only boutique farm outside the Americas where every stage of production happens under one roof. The wool is undyed: there are four base colors and 32 natural in-between shades. It weighs about half as much as sheep’s wool, suits sensitive skin and babies, and has little lanolin and no dander. The wool shop sells scarves, hats, gloves and socks, and shearing happens every year as spring arrives.
Anyone who wants to take something home can try wool crafts, dry or wet felting, all day long. These activities cost extra, places are limited and tickets should be booked ahead. They suit all ages, with children under 8 accompanied by an adult. Between activities you can rest in the stone hut with a drink and ice cream, settle into one of the shaded seating corners, or listen to the farm’s story in the amphitheater. And for longer strides, several easy walking trails lead from the farm to viewpoints.
Where you sleep: yurts, cabins and suites
Our yurt village has ten Mongolian yurts, each about 30 square meters and sleeping up to five guests. Each has made-up beds, air conditioning and heating, a private toilet and sink, and at the entrance a pergola with a private seating corner. Hammocks wait outside, the lighting inside is warm, and the view reaches toward Ramon Crater. Towels are provided, and there is a private fire-pit area, though barbecues and cooking meat over open flame are not allowed.
If you prefer a cabin, there are cabins and suites on the mountainside overlooking the farm. An Alpaca or Llama cabin is 29 square meters with a 14 square meter balcony, and the Raz and Yael suites are 44 to 50 square meters with a large balcony. Raz sleeps up to six guests and Yael up to nine, so an extended family or a group of friends fits comfortably. Every accommodation unit offers both heating and cooling.
The desert around you: Ramon Crater and dark skies
The farm is in Mitzpe Ramon, in the heart of the Negev, which makes the surroundings easy to explore. Ramon Crater is about seven minutes by car, the largest of the Negev’s craters and also an international dark-sky reserve, the first in the Middle East. The Ammonite Wall and the Minsara are about a quarter of an hour away, Nahal Havarim and Bor Hemet 25 minutes, and the Western Border Road and Luz Cisterns 40 minutes.
Evenings here belong to the sky. Guided stargazing with professional telescopes and explanations of the heavens takes place, along with conversation circles facing a desert sunset. If you prefer to walk alone, simply head out on foot and find total quiet, without engines: motorized vehicles are not allowed past the gate, and parking is next to your unit or outside the gate.
Retreats at Alpaca Farm
The farm has a retreat center that hosts leading teachers from Israel and abroad, for groups of 20 up to about 60 participants depending on the type of stay and activity. Retreats can run from two to four days. The studio is 80 square meters with a wooden floor and air conditioning, three toilet stalls and two private shower stalls, and it sleeps groups of up to 20. The geodesic dome in the heart of the compound serves as a gathering and movement space and sleeps up to 14 on thick mattresses. The large equipped kitchen allows self-catering for groups of up to 50.
In November the Reunion retreat takes place, a weekend of deepening in yoga and in ourselves, from the 5th to the 7th, led by Nitzan Agassi, a student and teacher of yoga in the Ashtanga and Vinyasa traditions, and Shachar-Yam Cohen, a teacher of yoga, Buddhism and mindfulness. It weaves philosophy with practice, movement with silence. To register, call 0545213152. The Satya retreat, led by Limor Graf, a psychotherapist and communications and content professional, focuses on practice and depth of awareness, and welcomes newcomers and seasoned practitioners alike. Also in November, from the 19th to the 21st, a musical weekend in the desert, a sound retreat, brings music in as a tool for relaxation, connection, balance and opening the heart.
Producers and teachers who would like to bring a group are welcome to reach us on 051-2998460 or at [email protected]. No previous experience is needed for the workshops, and our team has long experience accompanying retreat producers through every detail.
Opening hours and practical details
The farm is open to visitors on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 09:00 to 18:00, and on Sunday from 09:00 to 16:30. During school holidays it is open every day, and from 01.08.26, through the summer vacation, from 09:00 to 18:00. In winter time the farm closes at 16:30, and last entry is half an hour before closing. During Sukkot hours are 9:00 to 18:00, and until 14:00 on the eve of the holiday. For general questions call 08-658-8047 or write to [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book ahead to visit Alpaca Farm in Mitzpe Ramon?
No advance arrangement is needed for a visit to Alpaca Farm, except for groups of more than 30 people. Activities such as wool crafts have limited places, so tickets for those should be booked ahead. Lodging, a llama picnic and group bookings are arranged in advance, any day.
Can I bring my dog to Alpaca Farm?
No. Dogs and other animals cannot enter the farm, and they cannot stay overnight either. For a service dog, entry must be arranged in advance with the farm office.
What are check-in and check-out times, and is there a minimum stay?
Check-in at Alpaca Farm is between 15:00 and 19:00, and check-out is by 11:00 on departure day. On weekends and holidays the minimum booking is two nights. Payment is made at check-out, and children’s lodging is charged from age two.
Are meals served at Alpaca Farm, or do we cook ourselves?
The farm does not serve meals. Instead the lodging areas have an equipped kitchen for self-catering, with a household-size refrigerator and cooking utensils. Soft and hot drinks and popsicles are sold on site, and you may bring food from home and sit in one of the seating corners.
From what age do children pay entry, and what about craft activities?
Children under 2 enter Alpaca Farm free, and from age two entry is charged. The craft activities suit all ages, and children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.
How do I reach Alpaca Farm without a car?
No public transport reaches the farm. You can walk from Mitzpe Ramon or take a taxi.
Is there a guided tour in English at Alpaca Farm?
English-language guiding is not scheduled regularly and is offered on request, arranged in advance. Explanatory signs around the farm are in both Hebrew and English.
Do staying guests get a discount on activities?
Yes, guests of the farm receive 10% off activities. There are also discounts for soldiers, security forces, retirees, people with disabilities and students.
Can I get a baby crib in the room?
Yes, a baby crib is available on request.
