People on the beach, with smoke rising in the background from the site of an Israeli strike near the city of Sour in south Lebanon on May 27, 2026. (Credit: Kawnat Haju/AFP)
The smell of smoke drifted across the coastline.
Earlier on Wednesday, an Israeli drone strike targeted a motorcycle on the Khaldeh–Naameh highway, the latest in a series of attacks on vehicles along the coastal road south of Beirut. In recent months, and especially since the war between Hezbollah and Israel resumed on March 2, Israeli drone strikes have repeatedly targeted moving cars and motorcycles along the same stretch of highway.
The road is also the main artery carrying thousands of beachgoers every summer to some of Lebanon’s most popular seaside resorts, just a few kilometers from the capital. Yet despite the risk, and while the road to the beaches north of Beirut is generally considered safer, visitors are still heading south — though in smaller numbers and with growing hesitation.
At resorts stretching from Rmeileh to Jiyyeh, preparations for the summer season have largely gone ahead, albeit cautiously. Most establishments have kept entrance fees unchanged, while others have adjusted pricing or strategies in response to a season shaped by inflation and ongoing conflicts in Lebanon and the wider region. They all declined to give specific figures regarding their activities which have kicked off only a couple of weeks ago as temperatures start to rise.
Georges Boustany, owner of Lazy B Beach in Jiyyeh, said the resort did not launch any special packages this season, instead focusing on offering an escape from the tensions outside its gates.
Visitors are still arriving, “essentially from West Beirut, Saida and the Chouf areas,” he said. “The regular loyal customers are still there,” he added.
'They want to live against all odds'
Lazy B, one of the coast’s high-end beach clubs, charges around $30 to $35 for entry. Next Saturday, Boustany plans to open Side B, a second concept adjacent to the resort offering lower prices, a shisha lounge, and pet-friendly access.
“It will be the same beach, the same feeling, managed by Lazy B,” he said. “We’re hoping to attract more local customers.”
Like many businesses along the coast, attendance now fluctuates sharply with security developments.
“It definitely affects business,” Boustany said. “Some customers are afraid to come. Monday we had almost nobody because people were talking about [possible] strikes on Dahieh,” he said. “Then we heard of a cease-fire, so Tuesday we worked really well. ”
On Monday, the Israeli army ordered residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate "for their safety," as information about imminent strikes began circulating. Later that night, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel would refrain from striking Beirut in exchange for Hezbollah halting attacks on Israel.
Meanwhile, Lebanese and Israeli negotiators reached a new, albeit fragile, cease-fire understanding in Washington in the early hours of Thursday, even as Israeli strikes continued in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa.
Weekdays remain noticeably quieter than in previous years for beach resorts, while weekends still draw crowds. “Definitely not like before,” Boustany explains, however.
What surprises him most is not the drop in numbers but the determination of those who still make the trip south.
“The Lebanese people, either they are crazy or they are so courageous,” he said. “They want to live against all odds. They come, they sunbathe, they swim. It’s amazing.”
Displaced families renting beach chalets
Elsewhere along the same coastline, other resorts describe a similarly subdued season.
At Jiyyeh Marina, a manager said it was "not able to open the pool because there isn’t enough demand in the area.”
Before the resumption of the war, the resort drew visitors from southern Lebanon and mountain villages. But repeated strikes along the coastal highway have sharply reduced traffic, he said.
The hotel and chalets, however, remain fully occupied, though not in the usual way.
“We have displaced families staying, and people using the place as a stopover for a night or two,” the manager said. “Same prices, same chalets.”
At La Siesta and Janna Sur Mer, staff said they reduced entrance fees this year in an effort to attract expatriates returning to Lebanon for the summer.
At Laguava Resort, an employee said the season has fallen far short of expectations.
“It is not even a fraction of the number of customers who used to come,” the employee said. “Regulars are visiting less. People say they want to save money, as no one knows what will happen next.”
For some visitors, the risk of Israeli strikes remain a source of anxiety. For others, they have become part of the backdrop of daily life.
One beachgoer, who asked not to be named due to security concerns, said the risks are unavoidable but have not stopped them from going south.
“Being restricted from visiting every corner of Lebanon is unfortunate, like the shores of Sour, for example,” they said, noting that the Israeli army ordered inhabitants to evacuate all the areas south of the Zahrani river. “But I still try to go to beaches further south of Beirut. It is also a way to support business owners who take the risk to open and employ people in these very challenging times.”
For Aya Hamadani, who usually rents a chalet at Jiyyeh Marina for the entire summer, this year’s calculations have changed.
“Paying thousands of dollars for a chalet is not reasonable when the season might be cut short if there is an escalation," she concluded.
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