Chouf Biosphere Reserve is the largest reserve in Lebanon and covers a quarter of the total cedar forests in the country. It’s so huge that it represents 5% of Lebanon’s entire land mass. You can enjoy many activities here like hiking, bird watching, horse riding, mountain climbing and snowshoeing. The Barouk and Maaser El Chouf forests have the largest number of ancient trees – some dating back 2,000 years. More than 200 species of birds and 26 species of wild mammals (including wolves, gazelles, and wild boars) either live in or pass through the area. Prepared for tourism, there are plenty of well-developed rural and ecological options available for lodging.
There are more than 250 km of trails for short, medium or long hikes that take you through different landscapes like mountains, river beds, cedar forests and waterfalls. In Serjbel it just takes an easy 15-minute hike to reach both a lake and a waterfall. For more waterfalls, head to Jahiliye village and hike the Darb El Naher trail that will take you along the river to see not only falls, but natural lakes and an old bridge. Mokhtara is another village that you don’t want to miss because it has so much history in its stone houses, water mills, and bridges, but with a short hike you can get to the valley of the village, where the two rivers Barouk and Wadi el-Maa meet in an unforgettable place called Birket El-Arous.
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.
