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Tunisia
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel to some parts of Tunisia.
It may be but a slim wedge of North Africa’s vast horizontal expanse, but Tunisia has enough history and diverse natural beauty to pack a country many times its size. With a balmy, sand-fringed Mediterranean coast, scented with jasmine and sea breezes, and where the fish on your plate is always fresh, Tunisia is prime territory for a straightforward sun-sand-and-sea holiday. But beyond the beaches, it’s a thrilling, underrated destination where distinct cultures and incredible extremes of landscape – forested coastlines, Saharan sand seas in the south – can be explored in just a few days.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Tunisia.
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Medina
This sprawling maze of ancient streets and alleyways is one of the most impressive medieval medinas in North Africa and one of Tunisia's great treasures. It's home to numerous covered souqs selling everything from shoes to shisha pipes, as well as bustling cafes, back streets full of artisans at work and residential areas punctuated by grand, brightly painted doorways. Historic palaces, hammams, mosques and madrassas (schools for study of the Quran) are scattered throughout, many lavishly decorated with tiles, carved stucco and marble columns. The medina’s architecture is ideal for the local climate, with narrow streets that are cool in summer and warm in winter. As space within the medina's original walls ran out, residents built upwards, constructing vaults and rooms above the streets. (Vaults had to be built high enough to accommodate a loaded camel.) This gives the central lanes a subterranean feel, with shafts of sunlight filtering through. In the 19th century, the French developed the Ville Nouvelle (now Centre Ville), shifting the city’s centre of power. The city’s great families began to leave their ancestral homes for suburban seaside pads, and the medina declined, housing rural people newly settling in the capital. Zaouias (the complexes surrounding the tombs of saints) and palaces were converted to cope with the new arrivals. Large parts of the northern section were demolished in the 1930s and 1940s to clear the slums and improve vehicle access. Fortunately, several organisations are now devoted to conservation, and any work you see is hopefully in the name of preservation. Note that the medina’s walls are no longer made of bricks and mortar, as its boundaries now consist of a mix of buildings and streets. And where there were once 12 babs (gates), there are now only five. Early morning – when all is serene apart from merchants setting up shop and catching up with their neighbours over a fragrant mint tea – is an atmospheric time to explore. At other times, the main drags of Rue de la Kasbah and Rue Jamaa Ezzitouna can be unbearably hot, crowded and noisy. Fortunately, the crush dissipates a few streets either side. When here, be sure to wander down Rue Sidi Ben Arous (named after a 13th-century mystic and professor) and its continuations Rue Dar El Jeld and Rue du Pacha. This will take you through the most attractive section of the medina, restored under the auspices of the Association de Sauvegarde de la Médina de Tunis and full of mansions and mausoleums; the wonderful Souq des Chechias runs off Rue Sidi Ben Arous. Other interesting routes include Rue Tourbet El Bey, which runs between the Zitouna Mosque and the medina's southern edge; and the covered souqs and streets just north of the Zitouna Mosque, which include the hugely atmospheric Souq El Attarine and Rue du Tamis. Most shops close on Sundays, and many close on Friday afternoons. Though approximately 20,000 people still live within the medina, the area around Pl de la Kasbah and the streets outside Bab Souika and Bab Jedid are the only pockets where there is any street life in the evenings.
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Sousse Archaeological Museum
Located inside the 11th-century kasbah, this museum showcases an extraordinary collection of 2nd- and 3rd-century Roman mosaics, one of the best in the country. Most of these embellished the buildings in ancient Byzacium (Sousse and surrounds) and depict scenes from daily life – the fishing scenes are particularly charming. Highlights include a richly coloured mosaic of Neptune standing in his chariot, drawn by two hippocamps, and another depicting Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, riding in a satyr-driven chariot pulled by tigers. Also notable are a mosaic of the head of an ocean god that originally decorated the Baths of Themetra at Chott Meriem near Sousse, two huge hunting mosaics in the rear gallery, and a Byzantine-era mosaic-covered baptismal font from El Gaalla, only excavated in 1993 and in excellent condition. The multilingual labelling (Arabic, French and English) greatly enhances the visitor experience. Note that there is no entrance from inside the medina walls.
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Bardo Museum
The main draw at the Tunisia's top museum is its magnificent collection of Roman mosaics. These provide a vibrant and fascinating portrait of ancient North African life. Also here is some equally magnificent Hellenistic and Punic statuary. The massive collection is housed in an imposing palace complex built under the Hafsids (1228–1574), and fortified and extended by the Ottomans in the 18th century. The original palace buildings now connect with a dramatic contemporary annexe, which has doubled the exhibition space. The Bardo is 4km northwest of the city centre. Take métro léger line 4 (0.5DT) to the Bardo stop, or opt for a taxi (around 5DT from Centre Ville).
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Souq des Chechias
A medina highlight, this hugely atmospheric souq is filled with exquisitely decorated shops producing and selling c hechias, Tunisia's traditional blood-red felt caps. In the 17th century, when this souq was built, a million chechias were made annually by 15,000 craftsmen, sold locally and exported worldwide. Today, the 10 or so chaouachis working here produce the traditional Tunisian version as well as customised hats in a variety of colours and styles exported to North and West African countries. The cafes inside the souq are popular throughout the day and night with local tradesmen, shoppers and students.
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Ksar Oued Soltane
The ghorfas (long, barrel-vaulted rooms built to store grain) of Ksar Ouled Soltane rise a dizzying four storeys around two courtyards and are one of southern Tunisia's architectural highlights. Scenes from Star Wars film The Phantom Menace were shot here, when they stood in for part of the slave quarters where Anakin Skywalker grew up. The site has been renovated to give visitors a sense of how it would have appeared when first built. If some of the restoration seems a bit concrete-y in places, it's nevertheless better than the collapsed arcade in one part of the second courtyard.
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Marché Centrale
Tunisian food markets offer a great introduction to local culture, and Tunis' Marché Centrale is particularly atmospheric. The original market building dates from 1891 and the halls behind are later additions. There are three distinct areas: an enormous fish hall where you can watch locally caught fish being theatrically weighed, gutted and scaled; a central hall where mounds of spicy harissa, tubs of plump olives and blocks of pungent cheese are sold; and a rear fruit and vegetable section. One of the best times to visit is in early spring, when white bigardier (bitter orange) and pink pelargonium (geranium) flowers are in season. Piles of these are offered in the rear hall, where they perfume the space and are snapped up by locals who use home stills to produce flower water (from pelargonium) and the essential oil known as neroli (from bigardier). Later in spring, rose petals are harvested and are offered for the same purposes, offering a similarly fragrant market display. More produce is offered in the streets surrounding the market. Head to Rue d'Espagne for freshly roasted coffee beans and spices and Rue du Danemark for olives and pickles.
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Djerba Traditional Heritage Museum
Good things often come in small packages, and that is certainly the case at this modestly sized but extremely impressive museum. Occupying a curvaceous purpose-built structure next to the Zaouia of Sidi Zitouni about 200m from the town centre, it houses expertly curated and displayed exhibits on traditional Djerban life and culture. There are sections on costumes, the island's Jewish history, ceremonies, agriculture, the pottery industry, fishing and food. Labels in Arabic, French and English impart loads of fascinating facts and information.
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Djerbahood
In 2014, 150 artists from 30 countries descended on Erriadh to collaborate on an ambitious street-art project. The result was 250 vividly coloured stencils, paintings and graffiti covering the walls of buildings in the village's traditional whitewashed medina. Though subsequent years have seen many of the works fade, a wander around this open-air museum is still an inspiring and hugely enjoyable experience. The website has a downloadable map that aids exploration.
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Port Aux Prince
This appealing golden curve of beach is anchored by a rock-hewn castle-like villa, said to have belonged to Wassila Bourguiba, the wife of the former president of Tunisia. Enterprising locals sometimes use this as a spot for BYO sundowners and might offer to show you around inside, but it's usually inaccessible. A small summer-only cafe offers drinks and snacks. You need your own transport to get here. Turn off the main road between Soliman and El Haouaria when you pass the 52km marker near the village Bir Mroua. Follow the sign for Barrage Port Prince. When you come to a fork in the road at a huge abandoned building, turn left for the beach.
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