Miles of white sandy beaches, the clear blue sea, every water sport you can think of, hotels and clubs dedicated to holidaymakers, tourist resorts that are as bustling during the day as they are at night, a fantastic mix of restaurants to suit every budget, buzzing medinas, amazing shopping opportunities and warm, welcoming people. These are just some of the reasons why Tunisia has become one of the best-known summer destinations in the Mediterranean. What is less well known is the fact that holidays in Tunisia can also be about getting off the beaten track.
There are also lots of romantic, little known beaches, studded with unusually shaped rocks, or lined with palm trees and golden sand dunes. Charming guesthouses and hotels are springing up all over the place and there’s bound to be one to satisfy your search for authenticity. The countryside is studded with converted farmhouses and rural cottages, while the historic towns are filled with beautiful traditional houses with courtyards and colonnades. In the south and the little towns on the coast, you can marvel at the poetry of their stunningly simple architecture.
If you visit Tunisia in the summer, you can also explore the country’s cultural richness, with Carthage of course, but also Dougga, Bulla Regia and Makthar in the north, or the Roman amphitheatre of El Djem near Mahdia. And gorgeous museums like the Bardo in Tunis or the one in Sousse are well worth a visit, with their exceptional collections of mosaics. For younger visitors, the Friguia Animal Park near Hammamet is a must, with its cats, giraffes and elephants in a semi-wild environment. Last but by no means least, Tunisia in the summer is all about the nightlife: from nightclubs, open-air clubs to lounge bars with DJs, there are plenty of opportunities to let your hair down.