Cedars, Lebanon

Cedars is located about 2hrs drive north of Beirut. It is slightly higher than Faraya, with a slightly longer ski season as a result. In fact the season here is surprisingly long. It can begin in November and usually ends in late April. Cedars has changed a lot since the government installed the first lift in 1953. At a cost of $15,000,000, the latest improvements are the replacement of 3 old Tbars with new chair lifts and a new gondola for 2006 that will soon carry skiers from the base area up to 2870m. New roads and a new hotel at the base area are planned too. The skiing area is respectable; perfect for learners, but with enough steep off-piste to challenge better skiers. The après-ski is worthwhile too, and there is plenty to see besisdes the famous ancient Cedars forest, with fascinating old buildings in the nearby Kadisha Valley. Bcharreh, a neighboring village of the Cedars, is the birthplace and resting place of Gibran Khalil Gibran, Lebanon's most famous poet, artist and novelist.The Cedars ski slopes normally operate from 8:00 am till 3:30 pm during weekdays and 4:00 pm during weekends and holidays.

Resorts close to Cedars include: Laqlouq (22 km), Zaarour (28 km), Faraya (32 km), Mount Hermon (105 km), Mt Olympus (302 km),