Review on the 10 best places to go visit near Beirut, in Lebanon
As a young traveller, there are many interesting places to visit in the “small” yet fascinating country of Lebanon. A place with beautiful landscapes, wonderful cheerful people, and…AMAZING FOOD! Here is a list of my personal favourite places I’ve had the chance to visit during my 2 week and a half trip; enjoy!
- Mar Mikhael
The name of a street filled with decorated bars that attract all the young locals. Try the Bodo (free unlimited popcorn!), the Bohemian (serves any cocktail you haven’t even thought about), The international (generous amounts of alcohol served- we were offered 2 shots in less than one hour) and all the other ones while you’re at it! Bohemian style decorations and good atmosphere guaranteed! If you're craving for a burger after downing all those drinks, head to the "Smoking Bun", open till 3am on weekends.
- Roadsters, the best burgers in town
As you enter this American vintage styled dinner, you will feel like you’ve entered a time capsule that takes you back in the 60’s. This restaurant has got it all : a friendly service, walls filled with retro decorations and a menu that makes your mouth drool from the first page. Their speciality? A burger with a “cheese heart”, cheese with nachos (not the other way around!) and honey mustard. Full stomach guaranteed!
- Jeita Grotto, the cave of wonders
Discovered in 1836, this cave has been taken care of ever since to offer a spectacular experience to its visitors. The “grotto” is huge: you can walk along the upper part by yourself (stalactites are all over the place) and then discover the lower gallery on a boat (unfortunately no swimming but the water is too cold anyway!). This place should be one of the 7 wonders according to me, so don’t miss out!
- Chouf
Chouf is a district in Lebanon that I’ve had the chance to discover for a full day. First came the visit of the famous cedar trees (the one used on the lebanese flag!) that are thousands of years old! Head towards the Barouk or Maasser Forest for a walk amongst the trees. Note: the cedars can only be seen in few parts of Lebanon, often near the mountains.
Then, my Lebanese guides and I went to visit the palace of Beiteddine, a wonderful site with beautiful Arabic style architecture. (Interesting fact : After the palace was built, Emir Bachir Chahabi cut off the architect's hands in order to keep his palace a one-of-a-kind.) Definitely recommended if you’re not in a rush! You can enter the palace and walk around the garden too.
Last stop was to swim in the rivers of Chouf. The water is cold but refreshing: if you visit during the summer then go take a dip! There are many places to swim, just head down the mountain and don’t forget to bring a picnic or water since there aren’t shops everywhere!
- Byblos, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Plan a whole afternoon to walk around the beautiful city of Byblos. This enchanting town offers a medieval setting within the remains of the ancient city. Visit the Crusader castle to see the old ruins and climb up to take a peek at the breath-taking panorama. Stroll down the streets and imagine how people lived their lives here, 7000 years ago. There are many bars and restaurants near the port or in the centre of Byblos, the problem is to chose one since they all seem great! Oh, and if you’re looking for markets, this is the place for souvenirs, spices, and much more!
- The beach, of course, but which one?
There are many nice beaches in Lebanon, but you have to leave Beirut to find the nicest ones. In the capital, the water is very polluted, but it gets better a couple of kilometres away. The best one I’ve been to was in Tyre, where a dozen of open-air restaurants were aligned in front of the beach. You can order a shisha and all the Lebanese food you want while tanning on your seat: relaxing day guaranteed!
- The clubs
You can’t say you visited Lebanon if you haven’t at least gone out one night to dance off all the holiday stress you’ve accumulated!There are many one-night-only events in the summer, such as the “pop up hotel”, or events that take place once during the week, like Decks for example (colourful lit up dance floor with view on the beach!). Note: I do not recommend the club B018, a very small place where everyone gets squished between the tables and the drinks are way too expensive!
For more info on events while you’re visiting, check out the site “Lebtivity” by clicking HERE.
- Visiting during winter season? Go to the mountains!
There are plenty of nice places for winter sports in Lebanon, just head towards the mountains. The
place I went to is called Faraya, where you can find restaurants with typical Swiss food!!! (Fondue and raclette at “The Valais” restaurant, mmmmhh!!) It is nice to go during the summer as well to walk around and enjoy the panoramic view of the beach from the mountains.
- Walk in downtown Beirut
If you’re looking for a place to WALK (no, there aren’t that many!) head towards downtown to see the famous mosque or other nice old buildings! Looking for a hippie shop? Go to “Ants”on Beirut makhoul street, Ali Baba’s cavern of large colourful clothes, string bracelets and feather earrings. The staff is extremely friendly and even offered me a small discount! (www.antsbeirut.com)
- Last but not least, Coop d’Etat
This chilled bar with open ceiling is situated at the top of a building in the Gemmayzeh neighbourhood.
There is a hippie-like hostel in the building if ever you’re looking for a place to stay. If not, go up the stairs to reach the last floor where you’ll emerge in a hip bar with a friendly atmosphere. From Bob Marley to Manu Chao tunes, this seems like the hot spot where all the young locals go to down a couple of Almaza beers. The nachos are YUMMM, the waiters are attentive and smiling, the service is fast and the seats are comfortable: a great place to spend your afternoon or go pre-drinking!
TADA, hope this list will help a few wanderers discover a couple of the amazing places I saw! Please comment if you have any other recommendations you’d like to share, I’d love to read them out!