Ras al-Bassit

A cape at the northern end of the Syrian coast, 53 kilometres north of Latakia, with a bay tucked in below it. What sets Ras al-Bassit apart from other shores is the colour of the sand: dark, close to black. The mountains come down to the sea, and the forest begins where the sand ends.

Getting there

The coast road north out of Latakia turns inland at some point, and the last stretch is a winding forest road. Reckon on about two hours by car; the distance is short and the road is slow. Mount Aqra stands 10 kilometres to the north, so the border runs close by. Ask whether the road is open before continuing that way.

What the beach is like

The bay is wide and curved. The sea is usually calm and the bottom shelves gently. Chalets and serviced beach sections line the shore, and between them lies a long open strip that anyone can walk on to; that part is free. Behind you the pine and oak forest starts. Some 3000 hectares around the bay were placed under protection in 1999, which is why there is no wall of concrete along the shore.

Why the sand is dark

The colour comes from the rock of the surrounding mountains. The hills here are made of dark stone, and the streams have ground it down and carried it to the sea over centuries. The rest of the Syrian coast is pale sand and shingle, while this beach turns fully black when it is wet — the thing that looks exaggerated in photographs is real on the ground.

What most visitors miss

Look at the excavation ground beside the marina. This was a harbour known in classical times as Posidium, and before that an outpost of Ugarit trading with Cyprus. The digs were carried out but the site was left open, so ancient walls and the present-day boat jetty stand side by side. Stones from the Greek colony founded in the 7th century BC lie somewhere in that jumble too.