Things to do in Batroun
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Batroun
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months. Warm sea, everything open, and fewer crowds than the July and August peak.
Peak season. Hottest, busiest and most expensive, with the international festival running.
Good shoulder months. May suits walking and wineries, October keeps a warm sea with fewer people.
Quieter winter and spring. Food and old town visits work, beach clubs are shut or limited.
Worst months for a beach led trip. Mild, wet weather and many seasonal venues closed.
What's on
- Aegis Festival 10-12 July
Three day electronic music festival at Arnaoon Village in the hills above Batroun.
- Batroun International Festival from 18 July
Season umbrella festival opening with a beer, wine and seafood festival at the fishermen's port.
- Batroun Mediterranean Film Festival 4-7 September
Short films screened by the sea around the Diaspora Village and the old quarter.
- Batroun SpringFest spring
Local spring programming in the old town. Exact dates vary by year, so check local listings.
Best things to do in Batroun
Phoenician Wall
An ancient sea wall you can walk at sunset, with swimming coves below and the old town behind you.
Batroun Old Souk
Vaulted stone lanes of shops, cafes and bars that give Batroun its evening life and its character.
St. Stephan's Cathedral
The sandstone cathedral over the harbour is the landmark you navigate Batroun by and worth a quiet look inside.
Our Lady of the Sea Church
A small church beside the sea wall whose terrace gives one of the best sunset views in Batroun.
Diaspora Village
Stone houses themed to countries of Lebanese emigration tell the story of why Batroun fills with returnees each summer.
Mussaylha Fort
A small fort on a rock pinnacle above the river valley, climbed for the view down to the sea.
Bahsa Beach
The free public beach in the heart of town is the honest cheap swim that saves a beach club fee.
White Beach
White pebbles, clear water and a seafood lunch a few steps from your swim make this the relaxed family beach.
Where to stay in Batroun
Old Town and Old Souk
first trip, all round base
The wall, port, cathedral, restaurants and bars are all within a ten minute walk, so evenings need no car.
South Coast and Thoum Beach Strip
beach first stays and families
Larger resorts bring pools, parking and private beach access, at the cost of driving to old town dinners.
Hills Above Town
quiet, couples and rest
Valley guesthouses offer gardens, views and silence, and require a car for every swim and dinner.
Think twice about
- Beirut-Tripoli highway strip on the edge of town
Traffic noise and an unpleasant walk into town with none of Batroun's charm, sometimes at old town prices.
- Chekka industrial coast south of town
A working cement plant coastline with poor scenery and swimming. A cheap room there is not a Batroun stay.
Best restaurants in Batroun
Bistr'eau
The most composed seafood cooking in the old town is the special occasion dinner in the centre of Batroun.
Ceviche Restaurant Batroun
A seafood room built around its namesake ceviche carries the highest traveller rating among Batroun restaurants.
Orchid Beach Lounge
A long lunch by an infinity pool that drifts into sunset drinks is Batroun's upscale beach lounge day.
Arnaoon Village
A generous Lebanese buffet in a recreated village is the reliable big Sunday lunch, best with a group.
Jammal Restaurant
The classic harbour seafood lunch of mezze and grilled fish at tables a few feet from the water.
Chez Maguy
A fisherwoman's storied house restaurant is worth knowing, but current reviews say go for character, not polish.
Batrouniyat
Home style Lebanese cooking plus a pantry of preserves and local wines made by Batrouni women under one roof.
Patisserie RIM
The highest rated cheap bite in town is pastry, sweets and coffee with no booking and no ceremony.
Outdoor things to do in Batroun
Joining Beach
Rock platforms and deep clear water for jumping and diving, wilder and cheaper than any beach club.
Mseilha Walkway
A riverside trail past watermills and bridges under the fort is the best green morning away from the beach bars.
IXSIR Winery
A striking sustainable winery around a 17th century house is the polished Batroun hills tasting, best with lunch.
Sept Winery
Lebanon's first biodynamic winery serves a personal multi course lunch with wines from revived indigenous grapes.
Tahet El Rih
White and blue chalets over exceptionally clear water make Anfeh the quieter, cheaper swim day trip from Batroun.
Byblos Archaeological Site
A Crusader castle, Roman colonnade and Phoenician port in one compact site is the essential first time day trip.
Baatara Gorge Waterfall
A waterfall drops through a three bridge rock formation that is spectacular in spring and mainly geological by late summer.
Dive The Med Club
Diving and boat access from the marina make use of the same clear rocky coast that makes Batroun swimming good.
Best hotels in Batroun
Beit Al Batroun
A quiet valley bed and breakfast over the sea is the splurge for garden calm and a memorable breakfast.
L'Auberge de la Mer
A small luxury address inside the old souk puts the port, the wall and dinner within a short walk.
Villa Paradiso Guesthouse
A characterful guesthouse by the cathedral with a generous breakfast is the mid range sweet spot in town.
San Stephano Resort
A big resort with pool and marina suits families who want facilities more than guesthouse character.
Aqualand
Spacious grounds, a very large pool and direct sea access suit families who will live in the water.
Old Town Guesthouses
Simple old town rooms are the working budget base, freeing money for one excellent seafood lunch.
Is Batroun expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $55 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $120 a person |
| Splurge | $280 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- White Beach: a few days ahead
- Colonel Brewery and Distillery: a few days ahead
- IXSIR Winery: weeks ahead
- Sept Winery: weeks ahead
- Baatara Gorge Waterfall: a few days ahead
- Dive The Med Club: a few days ahead
- Bistr'eau: a few days ahead
- Ceviche Restaurant Batroun: a few days ahead
- Book Beit Al Batroun, IXSIR and Sept weeks ahead for summer weekends.
- Book Bistr'eau, Orchid and Arnaoon Sunday lunch days ahead.
- No booking is needed for Hilmi's, Patisserie RIM, Bahsa Beach, the wall or the churches.
Is Batroun safe?
- Check current official advisories for Lebanon before booking and again before travel.
- Watch belongings at crowded Bahsa and at festival events, and use a known driver at night.
- Check depth before jumping at rocky coves, wear swim shoes, and never drink tap water.
Batroun travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Agree the fish, its weight and the total price before cooking at harbour restaurants.
- Ask the full beach club day cost, since entry, lounger, parking and lunch are often charged separately.
- Do not visit Baatara in late summer expecting a full waterfall.
Getting around Batroun: public transport and more
- Walk the old town, port and Bahsa cluster. Driving inside it in summer is slower than walking.
- From Beirut allow an hour in light traffic and 90 minutes or more on summer weekends.
- Hire a known private driver for Baatara and winery days rather than driving after a tasting.
Who Batroun suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Batroun your trip
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