Tartus
A calm sea town with Arwad island in front and mountain villages behind.
Status today
Updated weekly by our Tartus correspondent.
Stone by the sea
A medieval cathedral and walls in stone by the sea, with Arwad island offshore.
This page’s pattern and the arch of its photo frames come from this style.
Sights
5 placesArwad Island
Syria's only inhabited island, reached by boat from Tartus port.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa
A Crusader cathedral turned museum.
Amrit
A Phoenician temple in water and stone tombs near the sea.
Margat Castle
A black basalt castle overlooking the sea.
Safita tower
A Crusader keep crowning a hill town.
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 Tartus correspondent.
What to eat here: Fresh fish, olive oil and saj bread in the mountain villages.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.
Poseidon
Tartus · Listed among the city’s restaurants on TripAdvisor.
Yusha Seafood
Tartus · Listed among the city’s restaurants on TripAdvisor.
Sabah Restaurant
Tartus · Rated 4.1 from 30 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Abu George Seafood
Tartus · Listed among the city’s restaurants on TripAdvisor.
Galaxy Rest
Tartus · Rated 4.1 from 289 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Salsabila
Tartus · Rated 4.1 from 69 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Le Monde Restaurant and Cafe
Tartus · Listed among the city’s restaurants on TripAdvisor.
Centro Cafe
Tartus · Listed among the city’s restaurants on TripAdvisor.
Okqa Cafe
Tartus · Rated 5.0 from 11 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Latash Sweets
Tartus · Rated 4.0 from 17 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Africano
Tartus · Listed among Tartus’s top-rated restaurants.
Fresh fish
The port · The day’s catch from the fishing boats.
Corniche cafes
Seafront · Evening seats on the sea.
Marissa Restaurant
Rated 4.3 from 51 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Al-Tarboush Restaurant
Al-Najmeh Square · Rated 4.4 from 21 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Al-Yamaq Restaurant
Rated 4.1 from 36 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Barcode Tartous
Rated 4.5 from 33 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Al-Sindbad Restaurant
Rated 4.1 from 69 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Marina and Tefahten
Rated 4.5 from 22 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Okqa Cafe
Rated 5.0 from 11 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Grand Summer
Sea corniche · Rated 4.6 from 10 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Darina Stop
Al-Wakalat Street · Rated 4.8 from 10 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Ana w Yak Cafe
Sea corniche · Rated 4.2 from 11 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Parks and gardens
For families, picnics and walks in and around the city.
Tartus seafront
City centre · A long walk facing Arwad island.
Dosseman · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsArwad island
Off the port · A short boat ride and seaside lanes.
Tartus in photos
Walk with us: an eye-level walk through the citySoon
Hotels in Tartus
Hotels on Ahleen can be booked there directly. Others are listed for information only, without a link.
Emir Ghazi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsStays in Tartus
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