Syrian Coast and Mountains

The Coast and Mountains of Syria is a region in the west of the country. It is green and fertile, relatively Christian, somewhat liberal, and dominated by Phoenician and Crusader history.

Cities

 * — small city with an impressive Crusader castle
 * — ancient city with a Roman theater
 * — a major port city, Saladin's Castle, Fronloq Forests and Al Samra Beah near Kasab
 * — a historical port city and historical small island called Arwad

Other destinations
The region has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

Get in
As of 2020, the most accessible way of reaching the Syrian Coast is overland, either with car, taxi or long distance bus. While the route from Damascus is generally safe, conditions can change rapidly. From Aleppo, a long detour is needed to avoid conflict areas. The border crossing with Lebanon, at Arida, is open while the border with Turkey remains closed.

There are no passenger trains from outside the region, however rehabilitation of tracks are underway and a limited number of trains might return in 2021.

There is one major airport in the region, SyrianAir operates a highly irregular service from Damascus.



Get around
As one of the few regions in Syria that has been spared the violence of the Civil War, public transport infrastructure are still somewhat functioning. Long distance buses are available between cities and the national railway operator CFS runs daily passenger trains between Latakia and Tartous.

Stay safe
As of 2018, Latakia and Tartus Provinces have remained under government control for the entire war. Latakia and Tartus, therefore, are by far the safest area of Syria for travel, and well worth a visit even now.