Three castles from Tartus: a day at Yahmour, Safita and Husn Suleiman

Three buildings in one day in the hills behind Tartus, 101 kilometres in all. All three are stone and all three did a different job: a small Crusader castle out on the plain that passed signals along, a single keep on the high point of a town, and a Roman sanctuary at 950 metres. You climb from the coast into the mountains and the last stretch of road is narrow. Three hours of the day go on driving; do not leave the return until dark.

The route

Leave Tartus to the southeast. Qalaat Yahmour is 18 kilometres out, twenty minutes; the castle sits inside the village of Yahmour, houses come right up to its wall, and it cannot be seen from the main road. You may have to ask in the village. The same road carries on east to Safita: 16 kilometres, half an hour, climbing towards the hills. The tower stands on the highest point of the town; you cannot drive to its foot, and you walk the last part up steep lanes. From Safita continue northeast: Husn Suleiman is 22 kilometres away, but it takes forty-five minutes because the road climbs into the mountains and narrows at the end. The way home is the long one: 45 kilometres from the sanctuary back to Tartus, an hour and a half.

Timing

Leave Tartus at 08:00. You are at Yahmour by 08:20. Forty-five minutes is enough: the inside of the keep is one tall space, and a stair built against the wall takes you to the upper floor. Back on the road at 09:15. You reach Safita at 09:45. The Chapel of Saint Michael on the ground floor is a working church and visits are restricted during services, which is the reason for coming in the morning. Do not skip going up on the terrace and looking east. Leave the town at 11:00. You arrive at Husn Suleiman at 11:45, and this is the longest stop of the day: the four gates of the enclosure, the temple ruin in the middle, and the Greek and Latin inscriptions on the wall take an hour. Break for lunch here, as the height keeps it cool even in summer. Turn back at 13:30 and you are in Tartus by 15:00.

Take care

At none of the three stops is the ticket desk or the keeper always at the gate; fees change, so carry cash. At Yahmour the castle is inside the village and there is no sign — asking a villager is the quickest way. In Safita the climb to the tower goes up steep lanes and the stone is slippery, so shoes with grip help. Husn Suleiman is windy, foggy in winter, and the last part of the mountain road is narrow with no barrier; do not hurry it on a wet day. Quiet is expected in the chapel and on the sanctuary ground. April to June and September to October are the easiest months. In winter, fog and rain can break the plan.