Wadi al-Nasara

The valley runs between the Krak des Chevaliers and the coastal mountains. Its villages are mostly Greek Orthodox, its slopes are terraced with vines and olives, and its pace is the slowest in Syria. Guests who want two nights of nothing after Damascus come here.

The monastery of Saint George, Deir Mar Jirjis, has stood since the sixth century and keeps a small guesthouse. Mashta al-Helu, higher up, has the guesthouses and restaurants where Homs families spend their summer weekends.

From here the Krak is twenty minutes, the coast at Tartus under an hour and Homs forty minutes. It is our favourite base for the middle of a ten day route.