Byblos's old harbour is one of the most picturesque on the Lebanese coast — a small natural port ringed by fishing boats and seafood restaurants, with the walls of the archaeological site rising on one side and the Mediterranean stretching to the horizon on the other. The harbour has been in continuous use for thousands of years: Phoenician traders loaded cedar logs and olive oil here bound for Egypt; Roman galleys sheltered in the same cove. Today it hosts a small fishing fleet, pleasure craft, and a line of restaurants on the quayside.
The area around the harbour is the best place in Byblos for an evening meal, with fresh fish served at tables looking out over the boats. At sunset the light on the old stone walls and the mix of working boats with the medieval castle as backdrop makes it one of the most atmospheric harbours in the eastern Mediterranean. A short walk along the sea wall brings you to the base of the archaeological site.