The Corniche is Beirut's seafront promenade, running for about 4.5 kilometres from Ain el Mreisseh in the east to the Pigeon Rocks at Raouche. In a city where most public space is fenced off, this open stretch of palm-lined pavement is where every social class actually meets.
Come at sunset. Joggers pound past men fishing with hand-lines, women smoking nargileh on benches, kids on bikes, and entire families promenading in their best clothes. Stop for a coffee or fresh juice from one of the kerb-side carts. Continue west along the cliffs and the Pigeon Rocks emerge from the sea below.