The main trade artery running along the Levantine coast, connecting Egypt in the south with Phoenicia and beyond in the north. This ancient route is the most traveled path in the region, used by merchants, armies, messengers, and pilgrims.
The Coastal Road is not a paved highway but a well-worn track, sometimes running along the beach itself, sometimes cutting inland to avoid rocky headlands or marshy areas. In most places it's wide enough for two carts to pass. The road is marked by milestones, shrines, and the bones of pack animals that didn't survive the journey.
From south to north near Ashkelon:
The road is busiest in spring and autumn when weather is favorable. Summer heat makes midday travel punishing, while winter rains can turn sections to mud or wash out the track entirely. Most merchants travel in groups for safety, and caravanserais dot the route at roughly one day's intervals.