The cedar forest
Huge trunks and deep shade.
Shoufcedar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bdx — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bdx — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Habibhelou — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bdx — CC BY-SA 4.0
Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve is Lebanon's largest nature reserve, on the slopes of Jebel Baruk in the Chouf and Aley districts. It covers 550 sq km, nearly 5.3 percent of the country. Visitors come to see the famous cedars and walk through their forests, far from the heat and bustle of the coast. The reserve contains the Lebanon cedar forests of Barouk, Maaser el Shouf and Ain Zhalta-Bmohray. It is an important bird area and eco-tourism destination, holding 32 species of wild mammals, 200 species of birds and 500 species of plants. Jebel Baruk overlooks the Beqaa Valley on one side and the Chouf slopes on the other. You walk on dirt paths among huge cedar trunks with broad branches that give deep shade. Higher up, open ground is covered with pink flowers in early summer, with the Beqaa plain in the distance. Snow covers the mountain in winter, changing the colours completely, and one source mentions mountain bike hire at the entrance. The Barouk entrance is about 11 km in a straight line from Beiteddine and about 30 km from Beirut. A car is easiest. Bring a jacket, water and walking shoes, keep to the paths and do not pick plants or touch the trees. Because Maaser el Shouf lies on the edge of an area in a UK Foreign Office warning, use the Barouk entrance and check the guidance.
Huge trunks and deep shade.
Open ground in early summer.
A far plain from above.
Slopes of Jebel Baruk, Chouf and Aley districts, Mount Lebanon
Yes. It has dirt paths suited to a short walk under the cedars and longer ones if you wish.
Spring to autumn for walking, and winter for snow, though the road may be hard.