Highlights - Essential Info - Itineraries
Lattakia
Lattakia is Syria’s main port and largest Mediterranean town, a pleasant cosmopolitan place, with wide palm-treed boulevards, busy shops and street cafes. Settled since 1000 BC, Lattakia's heyday was during the Greek and Roman eras, but it fell into decline under the Arabs and crusaders, and it was only the French Mandate after World War I that brought Lattakia back to prominence. Sadly not much of Lattakia's renowned past can be seen today, only a few columns and the tetrapylon amongst newly built constructions remain.
In terms of being a coastal destination, Lattakia is not really it, and visitors in search of beaches head further north along the coast to Syria's Cote D'Azur.
However, it is a practical place to stay if one wishes to explore the many historic sites near by, such as Saladin’s Castle, 43 km northeast. The castle is known by three different names – Arabi Sahyoun, Frankish Saone and finally Saladin’s Castle. The original Byzantine fortress was taken over by an early crusader knight called Robert de Saone in 1008. He and his son later built the present castle, which in turn was captured by Saladin in 1188. One of the most magnificent features of the fortress is the 28 metres deep ditch, which was cut into living rock, probably by the Byzantines. This ditch, which runs 156 metres along the east side, is 14 to 20 metres wide and has a lonely 28 metres high needle to support the drawbridge.
Our preferred hotels include:
Riviera Hotel
Afamia Rotana
