Palmeraie

Tozeur's palmeraie is the second-largest in the country with at least 200,000 palm trees (locals claim twice that number) spread over an area of more than 10 sq km. It's a classic example of tiered oasis agriculture. The system is watered by more than 200 springs that produce almost 60 million litres of water a day, distributed around the various holdings under a complex system devised by the mathematician Ibn Chabbat in the 13th century AD.

The best way to explore the palmeraie is on foot. Take the road that runs south off ave Abdulkacem Chebbi next to the Hôtel Continental and follow the signs to the Zoo du Paradis. After about 500m the road passes the old quarter of Bled el-Hader, thought to be the site of ancient Thuzuros. Further on is the village of Abbes. Several kilometres southeast of the statue of Ibn Chabbat is the incongruous and trippy Chak Wak Park (admission around TD15), an enormous testament to the vision of one passionate and wealthy man.

If you want to see more of the oasis, you can hire bicycles from a number of places around town. Thus equipped, you can complete a loop through the palmeraie that emerges further west on ave Abdulkacem Chebbi near the Grand Hôtel de l'Oasis.