The coastline north of Latakia holds some of the best beaches in Syria — sandy, backed by green hills, with clean water and a string of simple beach clubs and restaurants. The main resort areas are at Cote d'Azur (a local name, optimistic but not entirely unjustified) and the beaches around Ras al-Basit to the north, where rocky headlands alternate with stretches of dark volcanic sand.
Getting to the beaches by public transport is manageable — shared taxis and minibuses run north along the coast road — but a car makes it much easier to find the quieter spots. Syrian families treat beach season (June to September) seriously, and the coastal hotels fill up with Damascus and Aleppo residents escaping the heat of the interior. The sea is warm, the seafood at the beach restaurants is good and cheap, and outside peak weekends the beaches are never impossibly crowded.