Latakia
Sea, corniche and nearby mountains. A base for coastal and mountain villages.
Nouh Hammami · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Status today
Updated weekly by our Latakia correspondent.
The Ugarit alphabet
Nearby Ugarit gave one of the oldest alphabets, written in cuneiform on clay tablets. This page’s pattern takes the shape of those letters.
This page’s pattern and the arch of its photo frames come from this style.
Sights
12 placesThe corniche
An evening walk by the sea.
Ugarit (Ras Shamra)
An archaeological site near the city.
Southern Corniche
A sunset walk along the sea.
Saladin Castle
A castle on a ravine in the Haffeh hills.
Blue Beach
The city's best-known beach, north of Latakia.
Roman Triumphal Arch
A four-sided Roman arch from the late 2nd century AD, one of the main remains of ancient Latakia.
Columns of Bacchus
Roman columns standing among the modern streets of Latakia, attributed to a temple of Bacchus.
Latakia National Museum
A museum near the corniche in an old Ottoman caravanserai, showing finds from Ugarit and coastal sites.
Great Mosque
The great mosque in the centre of old Latakia.
Latin Church
The Latin Church of the Sacred Heart in Latakia, with a façade and two towers.
National Evangelical Presbyterian Church
The National Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Latakia.
Ras Ibn Hani
An archaeological site on a headland north of Latakia, linked to the kingdom of Ugarit.
Secrets, jokes and proverbs
Told and signed by people of the city, in Arabic only. Read them on the Arabic page.
Restaurants and cafes
Visited and written up by our Latakia correspondent.
What to eat here: Grilled fish, sayadieh, and fresh coastal greens.A first list compiled on 24 October 2026 from published guides (Wikivoyage, TripAdvisor) and Google Maps. Check opening hours before you go; our correspondent updates it after visiting.
Pizzeria Al Kabbas
Latakia · Listed among the city’s restaurants on TripAdvisor.
Abu Sayed Seafood
Latakia · Listed among the city’s restaurants on TripAdvisor.
Elite Restaurant
Latakia · Listed among the city’s restaurants on TripAdvisor.
Alsarai
Latakia · Listed among the city’s restaurants on TripAdvisor.
Al-Bahr Sweets
Latakia · Rated 4.5 from 67 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Wardeh Sweets & Bakery
Latakia · Rated 4.9 from 15 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
George Sweets
Latakia · Rated 4.8 from 16 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
OZ Coffee
Latakia · Rated 5.0 from 11 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Al Siwar
Corniche · A well-known local restaurant with sea views: mezze, kebab and fish.
Spiro
Corniche · Fresh fish, one of the city’s best-known seafood places.
Abu Duraid Seafood
Latakia · A seafood restaurant listed among Latakia’s top rated.
View Restaurant
Southern Corniche · For sunset over the sea.
Sumer Restaurant
Rated 4.0 from 592 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Al-Jaghnoun Restaurant
Rated 4.0 from 272 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Al-Laffah
Rated 4.2 from 258 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Napoli Restaurant
Al-Quds Street · Rated 4.2 from 109 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Beauty Restaurant
Rated 4.1 from 104 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Marina Restaurant
Rated 4.3 from 79 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Almond
Engineers Syndicate building · Rated 4.5 from 51 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Jamal Abu Swais
Rated 4.6 from 35 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Pizzeria Al-Kabbas
Rated 4.4 from 55 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Last Station
Al-Mutanabbi Street · Rated 4.7 from 19 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Gardenia Cafe
Rated 4.5 from 79 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Express Cafe
Rated 4.3 from 28 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Ghurub Cafe
Rated 4.2 from 25 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Grand Breaks
Rated 4.5 from 20 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Habbtein Misk
16 Tishreen Street · Rated 4.8 from 17 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
OZ Coffee
Ghassan Harfoush Street · Rated 5.0 from 11 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Malek al-Cappuccino
Rated 4.4 from 11 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Parks and gardens
For families, picnics and walks in and around the city.
Southern Corniche
South of the city · A long seafront walk for the evening.
Abd Alsattar Ardati · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsBlue Beach
North of the city · The summer beach and resorts.
Latakia in photos
Walk with us: an eye-level walk through the citySoon
Hotels in Latakia
Hotels on Ahleen can be booked there directly. Others are listed for information only, without a link.
Abd Alsattar Ardati · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsStays in Latakia
Hotels and rural homes with real photos, through our partner Ahleen.
Book a stay with Ahleen (opens in a new tab)أهلين شريك هذا الدليل. How the partnership works