Al Khums exists, for most visitors, because of Leptis Magna. The Roman city 3 km to the east is one of the best-preserved ancient sites on the Mediterranean — larger and less visited than Pompeii, set against the sea. Beyond the ruins, the town has a working harbour, a corniche walk, and a small old quarter that preserves a sense of traditional Libyan coastal life. The beach east of the ruins, beyond the Wadi Lebda, is long and uncrowded.