Tunisia: Where the Desert Meets the Sea
By Quixotic Guide
Often overlooked, Tunisia is North Africa’s best-kept secret—a country where Roman ruins rise from olive groves, blue-and-white villages cling to Mediterranean cliffs, and the Sahara begins just beyond the last café.
Tunis: Ancient Meets Everyday
Start in Tunis, where chaos and charm swirl together. The medina is a maze of scents—spices, leather, jasmine—and centuries-old mosques. Just outside the city lies Carthage, once the rival of Rome, now a haunting seaside ruin. Don’t miss Sidi Bou Said, a dreamy cliffside village that feels like Santorini with an Arabic soul.
The Desert Will Find You
South of the salt lake Chott el Jerid, the landscapes get surreal. In Douz, the “gateway to the Sahara,” camels plod past dunes as if time forgot them. Head deeper and you’ll reach Ksar Ghilane, where hot springs bubble in the desert. For movie buffs, Matmata and Tataouine offer otherworldly troglodyte homes—some used as Star Wars sets.
Mediterranean Escape
Tunisia’s beaches are as dazzling as the Greek isles, but with far fewer crowds. Hammamet is for the resort life. Mahdia is more low-key, with fishing boats and quiet medinas. And Djerba, an island linked to Homer’s Odyssey, offers palm groves, souks, and centuries-old Jewish heritage.
Roman Ghosts
Few expect Tunisia to have some of the best Roman ruins outside Italy. But El Djem, with its massive amphitheatre, rivals the Colosseum. Scattered across the countryside are temples, baths, and mosaics that whisper of a forgotten empire.
Why Go Now?
Because Tunisia is a bridge—between Africa and Europe, the Mediterranean and the Sahara, the ancient and the alive. It’s compact but incredibly rich, and in a single day, you can go from browsing Roman mosaics to sipping mint tea by the sea.