Photo: Stella Maris Monastery, Haifa by דניאל פישלר, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Travel advisory. Check the current U.S. State Department travel advisory for Israel and enroll in STEP before planning this leg. Conditions can change quickly; follow official guidance and your airline.
History. Mount Carmel is where the prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). In the 12th century hermits imitating Elijah settled on the mountain and became the Carmelite Order. Stella Maris ("Star of the Sea") is the mother house of the Discalced Carmelites. The Carmelites returned here in 1631, and the present church opened in 1836 and became a minor basilica in 1839. A grotto under the high altar is honoured as a cave of Elijah (Wikipedia; Carmelite leaflet).
Why it's on the "line." Stella Maris is dedicated to Our Lady and Elijah, not to St Michael. It is included as the eastern end of the modern Sacred Line story, not because of any ancient Michael shrine here.
Visiting
- Church hours: daily 6:00–12:00 and 15:00–18:00 (per the Carmelite custody site; call +972 4 833 7758 to confirm).
- Don't confuse it with the separate, larger Elijah's Cave on Allenby Road below the mountain.
- The Haifa cable car links the Bahá'í Gardens area and Bat Galim to the Stella Maris ridge ⚠ (check that it's running).
Sources
Last verified: October 15, 2026. Prices, hours and rules change: confirm with the official source before you go.