Tartus & Arwad Island — Syria's Quiet Coast, the Crusader Cathedral & the Phoenician Isle

Tartus is smaller and quieter than Latakia and closer to Damascus, and offshore lies Arwad — the only inhabited island in Syria, Phoenician in origin. For sea without the crowds, plus a hinterland rich in castles and temples, this is the place. Here's what to see and how to visit.

The city

• The corniche — calmer than Latakia's, with cafés and restaurants on the sea.
• Tartus Cathedral (the National Museum) — a 12th-century Crusader cathedral turned museum, one of the best-preserved Crusader religious buildings in the Levant, with finds from nearby Amrit.
• The old city — houses built inside the walls of the old Crusader fortress, still lived in today.

Arwad island

A 15-minute boat from the harbour reaches Arwad: narrow lanes, working wooden boatyards, a fortress and an Ayyubid citadel (a museum), and fish restaurants on the water. Half a day is enough — ask about the last boat back before you cross.

Around Tartus

• Amrit — 7 km south, a Phoenician temple with a sacred spring, and one of the oldest stadiums in the world.
• Al-Marqab — a vast black-basalt Hospitaller castle on a volcanic hill over the sea near Baniyas.
• Safita's white tower (Chastel Blanc) — a Crusader keep with a working chapel inside and a view to the sea.
• Krak des Chevaliers — about 60 km east, the world's finest Crusader castle, well worth the detour.

Beaches & resorts

Tartus's water is clear and its beaches calmer than Latakia's, with sandy stretches and resorts north of the city such as the Golden Sands. In the hills above are the cool resorts of Mashta al-Helu, Dreikish and Kafroun — see Syria's summer resorts.

We'll get you there

Tartus is about 3.5–4 hours from Damascus and pairs naturally with Krak des Chevaliers and the coast. We arrange a private trip with a driver who knows the roads, at a fixed price.

👉 Book your coast trip on WhatsApp — tap and message us; we reply right away with details, timing and price.

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Read more: the Syrian coast · Latakia · Krak des Chevaliers · Syria's summer resorts

In Arabic: دليل طرطوس وأرواد

Wherever your road leads, we'll get you there.