The Temple of Eshmun lies in a green valley about three kilometres north of Sidon, where the Awali river runs down from the mountains. It is the only substantially preserved Phoenician temple in Lebanon, and one of the most evocative ancient sites in the country — far less visited than the Roman ruins at Baalbek or Tyre, but worth the trip for anyone interested in the Phoenicians.
Construction began in the 7th century BC under King Eshmunazar II and continued under his successors, with Persian and Hellenistic additions over later centuries. The visible remains include the great podium, processional staircase, sacred basins, and remnants of a colonnade. Mosaics — including a fine 3rd-century AD floor with geometric patterns — survive in situ. The setting, among orange groves and irrigation channels, is half the appeal. Allow an hour or two and bring water; there is no on-site cafe.