Ramlet al-Baida Public Beach

Ramlet al-Baida (the White Sand) is the last stretch of free, open-access sand in the city of Beirut, running along the Corniche in the Ras Beirut seafront district below Raouche. Most of the surrounding shore has been fenced into private resorts over recent decades, and campaigners say roughly two thirds of the original beach land is now private property, so the public strip is narrower than the name suggests and is hemmed in by the Eden Bay resort. There is no entrance fee, but there are also few services: visitors should expect limited shade, patchy cleaning, no lifeguard that can be relied on, and sea water quality that varies with rainfall and sewage outfalls, so swimming is a judgement call and many visitors paddle or sit instead. The atmosphere is local and mixed, with families, students and fishermen, and it is busiest at weekends and at sunset. It is reached by service taxi or taxi along the Corniche from central Beirut in about 15 to 25 minutes depending on traffic. No venue-level official status was found for 2026, so visitors should check the sea and the sand on arrival and carry their own water, towel and shade.