Ras al-Hilal

Ras al-Hilal is a headland where the Jebel Akhdar comes down almost to the water on the Cyrenaican coast, with a lighthouse on the point, cliffs and small coves below and a Byzantine basilica standing in the open above the sea, its mosaic floors partly surviving. The coast here is among the least developed in Libya and the water is clear. The road along it runs between the mountain and the shore. A short distance inland the escarpment climbs steeply to the plateau, so the drive along this stretch of coast runs with cliffs on one side and open sea on the other.

What you actually see

• The headland - the point where the Jebel comes down to the sea.
• The Byzantine basilica - the church standing above the shore with mosaic floors.
• The lighthouse - the light on the cape.
• The coves - the small bays below the cliffs along the coast.

When to go

March to May and October to November are the comfortable months. Summer is hot. Winter brings storms to the coast.

Honest expectations

The basilica is unfenced and the mosaics are exposed to weather and feet. Facilities are none. Travel in Libya requires arrangements through a licensed operator.

Nearby

Latrun is west, and Apollonia is beyond it.