Slunfeh

Slunfeh is where the coast goes to cool off: a resort town at over a thousand metres in the Jabal al-Ansariya, among some of the last cedar and fir forest in Syria, with viewpoints looking down over the ridges to the Mediterranean. Summer fills it with families, cafes and evening strolls in mountain air twenty degrees kinder than the coast; the forest reserve nearby holds the best of the trees. In a hot country, altitude is a luxury, and Slunfeh is its traditional address.

Highlights

• The forest - cedar and fir stands of the high mountains.
• The viewpoints - the coast and ridges from the town's edges.
• The summer promenade - the evening life of the resort.
• The mountain air - the temperature drop that built the town.

When to go

May to October is the season; July and August are the busy escape months. June and September are quieter and just as cool. Snow can close roads in winter.

Practical notes

The town itself is functional rather than pretty - the setting is the draw. High-season weekends are crowded. Trails in the forest are informal.

Nearby

The Citadel of Salah Ed-Din is downhill west, and Latakia is beyond.