Photo by Christelle Hayek
With its rugged hills, jagged peaks, ancient trees and wild orchards, there are stunning views everywhere on the Ehmej trails – especially in the late spring when the wildflower season begins. Most trails are marked with wooden signs with a drawing of a bear, but don’t worry, as there have been no bears here since 1943. You may be lucky enough to see the tracks of wild boars or find a porcupine quill, but that’s the extent of “dangerous” wildlife. One trail passes through a forest of tall oak trees, including a 500 year old iron oak.
The ski resort Laqlouq has 8 km of slopes available for skiing and snowboarding. In addition to alpine skiing, it is also one of the best resorts suited for cross country skiing. Mostly visited by families, the resort has a very professional ski school. Unlike a lot of other resorts, the area surrounding Laqlouq is pretty much free of buildings and construction, making for a nice nature getaway.
What a place for the imagination! Afqa is a rectangular-prism-shaped breach within a 200-meter-high cliffside. Out of the cave’s mouth gushes a powerful waterfall that feeds into the Adonis River. In Greek mythology, this place is where Adonis, the demi-god of beauty and desire, died at the foot of the falls. Facing the grotto, you will see the ancient ruined walls of a temple once dedicated to Venus, or Aphrodite, her Greek counterpart. In spring, melting snow floods the river, infusing its waters with a reddish mud that is said to symbolize the blood of Adonis.
Under Ottoman rule, Maasser el Chouf was famous for its vineyards, used in wine and Arak distilleries, and mulberry orchards, which were a crucial component of silk worm farming. Its Biosphere reserves will quickly beckon you into the surrounding countryside.
Jezzine, an inland destination in southern Lebanon, is a hub for nature tourism due to its stunning mountain views, plentiful pine forests and refreshing waterfalls
The most visited tourism district in Lebanon, Keserwan stretches from the coast to the mountains and is home to the world-famous Jabal Moussa UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Located 50km north of Beirut, this small ancient city offers simple outdoor pleasures of hiking, rock climbing, and relaxing days at the beach.
First occupied between 8800 and 7000 BC and continuously inhabited since 5000 BC, Byblos is one of the oldest cities in the world. Rich not just in history, this region has coastline, forests, caves, waterfalls and skiing.
Hometown of Kahlil Gibran who wrote The Prophet, Bsharri is also famous for being the town of the only remaining and preserved original Cedars of God (Cedrus libani). It is an inland destination with the highest peak in Lebanon, the Kornet el Sawda summit which offers incredible panoramic mountain views.
Ehden has intense winters perfect for snowshoeing and backcountry skiing and mild summers ideal for hiking or biking through the forests that this area is known for.
This wild and sparsely populated region in the northernmost part of Lebanon has natural landscapes from coastal plains to high mountains.
