Taanayel Lake

The Jesuits established a farm at Taanayel in the nineteenth century and it is still worked, now run as an ecolodge and agricultural estate with an artificial lake at its centre. Paths run round the water under poplars, the dairy makes labneh and cheese on the premises, and there is a restored stone farm building with rooms to stay in. It is the most straightforward green place to spend a few hours in the Bekaa, popular with Beirut families at weekends.

What you actually see

• The lake - an artificial lake with a walking path round it under poplars.
• The working farm - fields, orchards and livestock still in production.
• The dairy - labneh and cheese made and sold on the premises.
• The old farm buildings - restored stone ranges from the Jesuit estate.

When to go

March to June and September to November are the best. Spring is greenest and the birds on the lake most active. Weekends are crowded with families from Beirut.

Honest expectations

It is a farm and a picnic spot rather than a sight; visitors expecting a nature reserve find something more managed. Weekend crowds are heavy. Facilities close in the middle of winter.

Nearby

Zahle is northeast, and Aammiq wetland is south.