Afrinkong
Coast to Chott
The Cap Bon coast, the olive Sahel, and the salt flats of the Chott el Djerid.
North Africa · Afrinkong
Tunisia
Carthage, the Sahel and the desert south.
Carthage on the bay of Tunis, Roman Dougga and El Jem, the Sahara at Douz and Tozeur, and a Mediterranean coast that has been in the tourism business for sixty years.
Where it is
Africa · North Africa · Tunisia
The land in brief
- Spans
- 310 km E–W, 760 km N–S
- Latitude
- 37°N to 30°N
- Borders
- 2 countries
- Sea
- Has a coast
- Best time
- Spring and early autumn, either side of a Mediterranean summer.
Also in North Africa
AlgeriaThe largest country in Africa, and the emptiestEgyptThe Nile, and five thousand yearsLibyaLeptis Magna, and the sand sea behind itMoroccoAtlas, Sahara and the medinasSudanMore pyramids than Egypt
Compare Tunisia with another countryAll fifty-four, worked through the same twenty-seven categories.When to come
JFMAMJJASOND
Spring and early autumn, either side of a Mediterranean summer.
01Highlights
What Tunisia is known for.
Six of the twenty-seven, and the ones most people come for. The rest are below — and none of them is filler.
Ichkeul and the Desert
Ichkeul's wintering waterfowl, and the desert fox and gazelle of the south.
The Dorsale
The Atlas tail crosses the north — Jebel Chambi is 1,544 metres and the highest point.
The Mediterranean
Hammamet, Djerba and Cap Bon — twelve hundred kilometres of it, and warm from May.
Cork Oak in the North
The Kroumirie forest of cork oak in the north-west, which surprises everyone.
Punic, Roman, Arab, Berber
Four layers, all of them still visible, and often in the same town.
02Experiences
25 ways to spend the time.
Every country we cover works through the same twenty-seven categories, so you can hold two of them side by side and compare like with like rather than one brochure against another. Compare Tunisia with another → The two not listed here are the hero picture and the case for going, which has a section of its own below.
Landscapes
- Coast to ChottThe Cap Bon coast, the olive Sahel, and the salt flats of the Chott el Djerid.
- The DorsaleThe Atlas tail crosses the north — Jebel Chambi is 1,544 metres and the highest point.
- The Oasis CascadesChebika, Tamerza and Mides — the mountain oases of the west, with water in a dry country.
- The MedjerdaThe only permanent river, running out of Algeria and across the northern plain.
- The MediterraneanHammamet, Djerba and Cap Bon — twelve hundred kilometres of it, and warm from May.
- Cork Oak in the NorthThe Kroumirie forest of cork oak in the north-west, which surprises everyone.
Wildlife
- Ichkeul and the DesertIchkeul's wintering waterfowl, and the desert fox and gazelle of the south.
- Not a Safari CountryThe wildlife here is birds and desert species, and Ichkeul is the reason to bring binoculars.
- Oasis WaterThe oasis irrigation of Tozeur and Nefta, managing water in the driest place in the country.
- Desert and DiveDune trekking from Douz, quad routes on the chott, and diving at Tabarka.
People and culture
- Punic, Roman, Arab, BerberFour layers, all of them still visible, and often in the same town.
- The Berber SouthThe ksour of Tataouine, and the underground houses of Matmata.
- Carthage and the Sahara FestivalThe Carthage film and music festival in summer, and the Douz Sahara festival in December.
- Mosaic, Ceramic and SilverRoman mosaic technique still taught, Nabeul ceramic, and Berber silver from the south.
- Couscous, Brik and HarissaFriday couscous, brik straight out of the pan, and harissa on everything.
- Two Hours from EuropeShort flights, shallow warm sea, and resorts that have been doing families for decades.
- The Souk and the CaféMint tea with pine nuts, and a souk that still mostly sells to the people who live there.
Places
- Tunis and SfaxTunis at the head of its lake, and Sfax's walled medina working as a medina still.
- Whitewash and BlueSidi Bou Said's blue and white, and the vaulted ksour of the desert south.
- Carthage, Dougga, El JemEl Jem's amphitheatre seats thirty-five thousand and is standing almost complete.
- The MedinasTunis, Sousse and Kairouan — Kairouan's mosque is among the oldest in the Maghreb.
Ways to travel
- Desert, Diving, DunesCamel treks from Douz, dune camps on the erg, and diving off Tabarka.
- Riad, Dar and Dune CampRestored dar houses in the medinas, and desert camps beyond the last palm.
- Light on WhiteWhitewash, blue, and desert light — the reason the film crews keep coming back.
- Ksar Ouled SoltaneVaulted grain stores stacked four storeys high, and almost nobody there.
03Why go
The case for Tunisia.
Why Visit This Country
Rome, and the Sahara, in One Week
An amphitheatre on Monday and a dune camp on Thursday, in a country the size of England.
Hidden Gems
Ksar Ouled Soltane
Vaulted grain stores stacked four storeys high, and almost nobody there.
Eco Tourism
Oasis Water
The oasis irrigation of Tozeur and Nefta, managing water in the driest place in the country.
Heritage
The Medinas
Tunis, Sousse and Kairouan — Kairouan's mosque is among the oldest in the Maghreb.
04Go deeper
All of Tunisia, four ways in.
Who would take youAfrinkong
The ground is ours right across Africa: your vehicle, your driver for the whole journey, and the days shaped around what you came for.
In Cameroon, Uganda and Namibia you travel with companies of our own as well.
Plan your journey →
Begin
Your Tunisia starts here.
Tell us the month, or simply the thing you want to see, and a guide who works there will answer.