Al-Fronloq Forest Reserve near Kessab

A broad forest in the mountains north of Latakia, between Kessab and Rabia, with a protected reserve at its heart. It was declared protected in 1999 by decision 17/T, to keep a climax forest of Turkish pine and semi-evergreen oak and the life inside it. In summer 2025 the wildfires of rural Latakia reached its edge. The southern part burned; the core zone, Jabal al-Azr and the picnic area that visitors use all survived.

Where it is and getting there

The forest sits in the far north of Latakia province, in the hills close to the Turkish border. Arabic Wikipedia places the reserve in the Rabia subdistrict, while the campsite entry on OpenStreetMap puts it in Kessab; the two towns are neighbours and the forest covers the ridges between them. The mountain road up to Kessab passes close by. Visitors said in 2025 that the road into the forest needs repair, so ask about it before taking a low car.

How big is the reserve

There is no single answer. Arabic Wikipedia gives 1500 hectares. Syrian press reports from 2025, quoting the reserve’s management, give 5360 hectares. The gap may come down to what is counted: the core zone alone, or the buffer forest around it as well. Both figures stand here with their sources; which one is the current official boundary could not be confirmed.

What grows and lives here

Turkish pine and oak dominate the canopy, with oriental plane, cedar, fir, juniper, strawberry tree and bay laurel among them. More than 200 plant species are reported. Recorded mammals include hare, wild boar, squirrel, fox, jackal, mongoose, weasel, wildcat and mole, and among reptiles, tortoises. The bird list names blackbird, nightingale, quail, turtle dove, eagle, hoopoe, owl, partridge and woodpecker.

What the 2025 fire did

The fire started on 1 July 2025 in the Turkmen Mountain area of northern rural Latakia and reached the edge of the reserve on 9 July. Crews spent days keeping it out of the core zone. Damage assessments placed the burn in the south and south-west, where dense pine stands and several villages were hit. In August 2025 the reserve’s management said that large areas had escaped damage and that the core zone, Jabal al-Azr and the picnic area were intact; the exact burned area was still being measured at that point. Since the fire, grazing animals inside the forest has been banned outright.

When to go and how long it takes

In summer the picnic area is the main stop for visitors. Half a day is enough to walk there and look out over the ridges towards Kessab. Midsummer is fire season: lighting a fire is a serious risk and local warnings change often. Spring and autumn are cooler and carry a lower fire risk.