Things to do & places to visit in Tartus Governorate, Syria

Tartus Governorate #6 destination in Syria 2023. The average rating score is 4.54 based on 52 traveler reviews, of 18 attractions. Timezone: Asia/Damascus, current date and time: Saturday, May 11, 2024, 10:16.

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Top things to do (13)

• Observation Decks & Towers
• Beaches
• Ancient Ruins
• Historic Sites
• Scenic Walking Areas
• Religious Sites
• Points of Interest & Landmarks
• Caverns & Caves
• Military Bases & Facilities
• Mines
• Islands
• Castles
• Churches & Cathedrals

Top destinations in Tartus Governorate 5

• Safita
• Tartus
• Masyaf
• Mashtal Helu
• Arwad

Top places to visit (19 attractions)

1. 5.0 Saladin (Selahedîn) Citadel (5 reviews)
   - Go with a guide
   Historic Sites • Military Bases & Facilities
   
   
   This is located with a Mosque. There is lots to see but hard to do on your own. This is well guarded like all popular sites but easy to get to. See more..
   
2. 4.5 Krak des Chevalier (24 reviews)
   - you make the trip up the mountain to view this spectacular medieval site. You will not be disappointed, trust me...
   Saturday: Castles
   
   
   The Crak de Chevaliers is one of the World’s best preserved and most impressive Crusader Castle and is located in Central Syria near the large city called Safita. This castle was built by the Knights Hospitaller during the time of the Crusades and remains today in excellent condition. The Castle was not damaged too much during the Syrian Civil War outside of only one room being hit by a shell, other than that it survived the conflict very well. When we visited the Crak de Chevaliers we were the only visitor’s at the time. I believe that the reason for the low number of tourists is the current gas rationing taking place in the country. The entry cost was very low and the walk around the ramparts was easy. If you are in the area I strongly suggest you make the trip up the mountain to view this spectacular medieval site. You will not be disappointed, trust me. See more..
   
3. 4.5 Arwad Island (14 reviews)
   - Great Island
   Islands
   
   
   One of the most peaceful islands, historical oriental, beautiful, you can enjoy a day or two or few hours neither. See more..
   
4. 4.5 Cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa (3 reviews)
   - Beautiful and very well preserved!
   Religious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals
   
   
   The old cathedral in Tartous has now been repurposed into the Tartous museum. It's well worth a visit for the building alone, as well as the exhibits on offer there. See more..
   
5. 4.5 The Templar Fortress of Tartous (2 reviews)
   - Amazing, historic, and completely devoid of tourists!
   Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
   
   
   My wife and I had wanted to visit Tartous for years after seeing the old city in a documentary about the Knights Templar. Finally, in October 2017, we visited. Wandering around the labyrinth of alleys and jumbled remains of the fortress was fascinating - the ancient architecture is astonishingly beautiful, and what makes it more intriguing is how people have built homes into what remains. It's not the cleanest place, but it's a wonderful place to explore, and all the local people we met were extremely friendly and were also amazed to see foreign visitors wandering around. This place should be a huge attraction in Tartous - it's for sure a must-see location. Don't even think about leaving the city without going! See more..
   
6. 4.5 The Old City Of Tartus (2 reviews)
   - You will not be disappointed…trust me…
   Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins • Points of Interest & Landmarks
   
   
   Whenever one visits the Old Seaside City of Tartous you should spend sometime in the old walled city which has a commanding view of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a MUST VISIT SITE that you will not be disappointed in viewing and touring. As one may know and appreciate Syria is the location of the two “Oldest Continually Inhabited Cites”: Damascus and Aleppo. Now Tartous is not as old as these two cities, but the tour of the Old ramparts is well worth the outing and visit. Tartous, is in some cases, more unique than Damascus and Aleppo as it is directly on the Mediterranean Sea and offers many old street views and old archways. So if you do have time to visit the seaside city of Tartous you must make time to visit the Old Seaport section of this city! You will not be disappointed…trust me… See more..
   
7. 4.0 Al Dawayat Cave (1 review)
   - You will not be disappointed in visiting the Al-Dawayat Cave, trust me!
   Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Walking Areas
   
   
   Al Dawayat Cave is located near the mountain village of Mashtar Helu which is about 35 km from the coastal city of Tartus. This cave is really a nice place to visit when you are touring or visiting this area of Northwest Syria. We were told about this cave while we were enjoying a great lunch just outside of the village called: Mashtar Helu. The caves location was fairly easy to find. It also has a small gift and coffee shop just before the entrance down to the cave. We paid 500 Syrian Lira or about 0.25 USD as the token entrance fee and then the caretaker switched on the electric generator to provide the lighting inside the cave. There are only a few steps down and within the cave the steps are quite easy to walk and navigate. In my research on this splendid cave I discovered the name Al-Dawayat is derived from the five small openings in the roof that allow sunlight into the cave. Also, in many areas along the caves roof you can see the large black roots of the trees above, making an eerie and strange sight. The roots almost appeared to be snakes creeping along the roof! Also, Al-Dawayat Cave is the oldest cave in all of Syria. There are many major stalagmites or stalactites to view and most have formed lovely columns over the past 20 million years. All the views inside the cave are very nice as the lighting is professional thus making ones photos very striking and stunning. The other advantage of visiting this cave in the summer is that the indoor temperature was a cool 19 C. You will not be disappointed in visiting the Al-Dawayat Cave, trust me! See more..
   
8. 4.0 The Golden Sands (1 review)
   Beaches
   
   
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9. Al Dawayat Cave (0 review)
   Points of Interest & Landmarks • Mines • Scenic Walking Areas
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10. Safita Tower (0 review)
    Saturday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Observation Decks & Towers
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11. Castle Mosque (0 review)
    Religious Sites
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12. Sea Mosque (0 review)
    Religious Sites
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13. Al-Mounira Mosque (0 review)
    Religious Sites
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14. Al-Najah Mosque (0 review)
    Religious Sites
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15. Mustafa Mosque (0 review)
    Religious Sites
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16. Citadel Of Arwad (0 review)
    Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins
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17. The Cave of Hostages (0 review)
    Caverns & Caves
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18. Chastel Rouge (0 review)
    Ancient Ruins
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19. Chastel Rouge (0 review)
    Ancient Ruins
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