Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountains)

Jebel Akhdar is the beautiful stretch of mountains that lie between Benghazi and Cyrene, some 800 km east of Tripoli. 'Jebel' means mountain and the area is also known as the Green Mountains, as it has lush vegetation and it is much wetter than most other areas in Libya. Large parts of the Jebel Akhdar are used for agriculture, but there is still enough unspoilt forest to wander around in.

During the Italian colonial period the area was the major source of food production. You can still see numerous small farmhouses built in the 1930's.

There are many interesting places in and around the Jabel Akhdar. Tocra for example was founded in 510 BC by the Greeks. It is 70 km northeast of Benghazi on the Mediterranean coast. It has a nice old village square and it is well worth a visit. Tolmeita is further east and offers nice beaches. A few kilometers inland you will find the town of Al-Bayda, a good place to stay when you are exploring the area. Further inland is the village of Suluntah (Slonta), where you can see the only pre-Islamic ruins in Libya. They are though to be a place of worship.

The ancient Greek city of Apollonia is on the Mediterranean coast. It is second only to Cyrene. There are numerous ruins and relics as well as a museum. Darnah (Derna) is a small town located beautifully near the outlet of a wadi, with steep sides covered in lush vegetation. There is a covered souq in town and there are several beaches nearby. In the mountains, about 5 km from town, you can see one of Libya's few waterfalls.