Biking around Beirut, with its heavy traffic and lack of pavements, is not the first thing that springs to mind if you’re looking for a relaxing activity, but I beg to differ. You can rent bikes at Beirut by Bike just beyond Zeitunay Bay in Biel. You can cycle for up to 5km along the Corniche, or close to Beirut’s port where there are vast swathes of unused land.
I like to start in Biel and cycle along the empty pedestrianised roads – there are great views onto the sea and the port close by. It’s one of the rare stretches of car-free space in Beirut, and although it can get busy on weekends it’s still quite a solitary spot. The landscape around is changing progressively, with buildings slowly popping up, clubs opening and closing, and more recently, the Dinner in the Sky restaurant, where diners sit at a table suspended 50 metres in the air by a crane.
I often cycle past Zeitunay Bay and all the way up the Corniche, where you’re closer to the sea and have to navigate children playing football, break dancers and fishermen. For a break, you can stop for a drink at one of the many seafront cafes.
Find your way with 179 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
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"Al Makari Sweets" in Beirut makes authentic mufata'a dessert. It's hard to make, thus it's hard to find, but they make it like my grandma used to...
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At "Sugar Shake" right behind Beit Beirut Museum, you will be served one of the freshest and tastiest smoothies & frozen yogurts you can have in the city!
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"Kalei" isn't just one of my favorite specialty coffee spots in Beirut - the building it occupies has been around since the 1800s, and you can tell!
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"Liza" in Beirut in the 19th-century palace is the place to go if you want to dine luxuriously with a menu and presentation that are 'lavishly perfect'...
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"Mansion" Blatt in Beirut is a 20th-century villa that's been turned into a shared coworking & creative space used by designers, artists, architects & more.
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My favorite "Assabil" Public Library in Beirut is in Monnot. It's always active with events, whether virtual or real-life ones and full of youth!
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An exciting part of this museum is that at some point, if you look up, you'll be looking through a glass ceiling that shows the church right above you.
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The "Garden of Forgiveness" in Beirut is a vast space that was properly unveiled during excavations after the Civil War. Come observe its beauty & history.
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"Barzakh Bookshop" in Beirut is the ultimate definition of a hidden gem. It's a cultural melting pot of literary rebels from around the world...
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"Beit Beirut", or the Yellow Building, has been standing since 1924. It survived the Civil War and is now used as a center for exhibitions & events...
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179 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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