Wadi Qandil

Wadi Qandil is the low-key alternative on the northern coast: a valley of pines and orchards opening onto a bay of dark sand, with a river mouth at one end and headlands closing both sides. It draws campers and younger crowds rather than the family resorts of Ras al-Bassit, and outside high summer it can be nearly empty - a green valley, a dark beach, and the sea. Swimming is good when the sea is calm.

What you actually see

• The bay - dark sand between wooded headlands.
• The valley - pines and orchards running back from the shore.
• The river mouth - the stream meeting the sea at the beach's end.
• The camping scene - tents under the trees in summer.

When to go

May to October is the season; high summer brings the campers. Shoulder months can be blissfully quiet. Sea state varies with the wind.

Honest expectations

Facilities are minimal - this is the point, but plan accordingly. Currents near the river mouth deserve respect. Rubbish after busy weekends can disappoint.

Nearby

Ras al-Bassit is north, and Latakia is south.