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City in Syria · Latakia

Latakia

Latakia, officially Lattakia, is the principal port city of Syria and capital city of the Latakia Governorate located on the Mediterranean coast.

Latakia
Latakia · Victor.ibrahiem.photographe (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The place

Latakia, officially Lattakia, is the principal port city of Syria and capital city of the Latakia Governorate located on the Mediterranean coast. Historically, it has also been known as Laodicea in Syria or Laodicea ad Mare. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a significant manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages. According to a 2023 estimate, the population of the city is 709,000, its population greatly increased as a result of the Syrian Revolution, which led to an influx of internally displaced persons from rebel held areas. It is the 5th-largest city in Syria after Aleppo, Damascus, Homs and Hama. Cape Apostolos Andreas, the north-eastern tip of Cyprus, is about 109 kilometres (68 mi) away.

Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What is there

Worth seeing in and around Latakia

10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.

  1. 01
    University of Latakia

    Latakia University, formerly known as Tishreen University, is a public university located in Latakia, Syria. It is the third-largest university in Syria.

    2.7 km · university in Syria · Wikipedia
  2. 02
    Ras Ibn Hani

    Ras Ibn Hani, Ugaritic Raʾšu, is a small cape located 8 kilometers north of Latakia, Syria on the Mediterranean Sea. It is an important archaeological site as it was occupied almost continuously from the late Bronze Age until Byzantine times.

    7.8 km · Ugaritic archaeological site · Wikipedia
  3. 03
    Minet el-Beida

    Minet el-Beida is a small bay located 10 kilometers north of Latakia, Syria on the Mediterranean Sea.

    9.7 km · archaeological site located in Syria · Wikipedia
  4. 04
    Al-Assad Stadium

    Latakia Municipal Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Latakia, Syria. It is currently used mostly for football matches.

    1.1 km · multi-purpose sport stadium in Latakia, Syria · Wikipedia
  5. 05
    Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

    The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus also known as the Latin Church is a Catholic church located in Latakia, Syria. The church was built in two phases.

    700 m · church building in Latakia, Syria · Wikipedia
  6. 06
    Royal Palace of Ugarit

    The Royal Palace of Ugarit is a Bronze Age ruins in the former port city of Ugarit on the Mediterranean coast of Syria. The royal residence of the rulers of the ancient Kingdom of Ugarit, it was excavated with the rest of the city from the 1930s by French archaeologist Claude F. A. Schaeffer, and is considered one of the most important finds made there.

    9.1 km · ancient palace on the coast of Syria · Wikipedia
  7. 07
    National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Latakia

    The National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Latakia is a church in Latakia, Syria. It is a member of the Synod of Syria and Lebanon.

    500 m · church building in Latakia, Syria · Wikipedia
  8. 08
    Latakia Sports City Stadium

    Latakia Sports City Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Latakia, Syria. It is mostly used for football matches.

    5.4 km · multi-purpose stadium in Latakia, Syria · Wikipedia
  9. 09
    Cote d'Azur

    Cote d'Azur, known locally as the Blue Beach is a beach resort located 8 kilometers north of Latakia, Syria along the Mediterranean coast, on a site of archaeological importance called Ras Ibn Hani. During the summer, the entire area is packed with Syrian families on holiday, as well as Gulf Arabs wishing to escape the heat of their own countries.

    7.9 km · beach resort in Syria · Wikipedia
  10. 10
    National Museum of Latakia

    The National Museum of Latakia, also known as the Latakia Museum, is a museum located in the coastal city of Latakia, Syria, near the city's seafront, facing the Port of Latakia. It was inaugurated in 1986.

    600 m · museum · Wikipedia

Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.

See

What Wikivoyage says to see

The Latakia region is known for its diversity of landscapes, from the green mountains to the sandy beaches, with many important archeological sites, such as the Saladin Castle (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006) and the ruins of Ugarit, close enough to see on a day trip from Latakia.

  1. 01
    National Museum of Latakia
  2. 02
    Ruins of Ugarit

    The ancient Phoenician city that lays claim to developing one of the first written alphabets in the world.

  3. 03
    Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
  4. 04
    National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Latakia

From Wikivoyage: Latakia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.

Do

Things to do

In the city center, the American street attracts the young and fashionable at night. Also the Zira'a quarter and around the university are hip upcoming parts of the city. Free public beach near Al Siwar, N35.50097 E35.78184. The free public beach at the bottom of the cliff below Al Siwar Restaurant is neither particularly clean nor safe due to the debris in the sand. Free public beach near South Corniche Park.

From Wikivoyage: Latakia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.

Eat

Where to eat

Al Siwar (On the corniche). Probably the best-known restaurant among locals, with a beautiful view of the sea. Thus, one of the more expensive options in Latakia, but still moderately priced. Serves good Syrian mezze and kebabs, as well as fish. Spiro (On the corniche). Probably the best-known seafood restaurant among locals. Reasonably priced, is famous for having good, fresh fish.

From Wikivoyage: Latakia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.

Go there

Getting to Latakia

Airports
Aleppo (ALP), 150 km · Çukurova (COV), 165 km · Beirut Rafic Hariri (BEY), 191 km
Stations
Ugarit, 9.1 km · Port of Latakia, 1 km · Latakia railway station, 1 km
  • Aleppo → Latakia
    144 km · quickest by road, 2h 33m · $14–19
  • Damascus → Latakia
    229 km · quickest by road, 4h 52m · $27–37
  • Tarsus → Latakia
    174 km · quickest by road, 5h 47m · ₺630–840
  • From anywhere
    The planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
    Plan a trip

Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.

Not yet researched

No local-transport research exists yet for Latakia

Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Latakia. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.

The nearest places where the work is done
  1. 01
    KastellorizoGR

    8 ways of moving, 27 sources

    563 km
  2. 02
    Petra and Wadi MusaJO

    12 ways of moving, 17 sources

    578 km
  3. 03
    Wadi RumJO

    8 ways of moving, 23 sources

    662 km
  4. 04
    DahabEG

    8 ways of moving, 29 sources

    790 km
  5. 05
    GyumriAM

    12 ways of moving, 47 sources

    916 km

If you know how people move in Latakia – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.

Around it

Next door to Latakia