Day Trip off the beaten track to Cap Bon from Tunis or Hammamet - 1 Day

Stop at : Fort of Kelibia, Kelibia 8090 Tunisia

The fort is now one of the main tourist attractions of the city of Kelibia.it is a citadel of the xvie century was built at the top of a rocky promontory 150 meters high that dominates the Mediterranean Sea and the city of Kelibia in the governorate of Nabeul, on the northeast coast of the Tunisian peninsula of Cape Bon.
In its oldest parts, this fortress has Roman components, from the period (III century BC) Punic a fort stood at this location. Dismantled by the Romans, a new fortification was erected under the Byzantines, which was constantly enlarged and remodeled by its successive occupants, especially in the sixteenth century when the Ottomans faced repeated assaults by the Spanish. The visit of the fortress is an opportunity to enjoy the magnificent panorama that opens up from the top of the ramparts: on a clear day, Sicily is visible out to sea.

Duration: 45 minutes

Stop at : Ruins of Kerkouane, Kelibia Tunisia

It is one of the most precious archaeological sites of Tunisia, because the only one, until now, whose foundation goes back to the Punic time – perhaps in the VIth century BC. – and that the Romans did not rebuild after the annexation of Africa to the Roman Empire, thus bequeathing to us an urban space, that of a small city which has not yet been identified, typically Punic.
Apparently abandoned after its destruction by the Roman consul M. Atilus Regulus in 256 BC before being rediscovered in the early 50s of the last century, the city had been virtually levelled. But the remains offer us today the plan of a typical Punic city, with the very clear layout of houses equipped with all amenities (including baths and ovens), decorated with pavements of primitive mosaics, one of which depicts the Punic goddess Tanit.

Coastal city, Kerkouane was endowed with a port of which some sections still remain; it had to engage in trade with other Mediterranean ports to which it exported agricultural products but also handicrafts, such as fabrics dyed purple, manufacturing facilities for this substance have been discovered near the coast, as well as the stores of a commercial district. A museum gathering some objects discovered on the site, was erigé at the entry.

Duration : 1 hour

Stop at : Echraf, Tunisia

The oldest olive tree of Tunisia is located in Echraf, before the entrance of Haouaria and it has impressive dimensions: the roots cover a surface of approximately sixteen meters, the trunk has a circumference of six meters and its age exceeds 2.500 years. This olive tree is protected, maintained and surprised that it continues to produce olives. Every year a small production of olive oil from the olive tree of Echraf is distributed as something sacred, in small vials as an elixir with magical powers.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop at : Ghar el Kebir, 3km West of El Haouaria, El Haouaria 8045 Tunisia

El Haouaria is one of the most beautiful seaside sites of Tunisia, located at the northeast end of Cape Bon, at the entrance of the Gulf of Tunis: crystal clear waters, dolphins, creeks and caves … however the influx and lack of civic-mindedness of the summer endangered this once wild place. Its geographical location, its contrasting relief and its mild and temperate climate make it a favorite refuge for a multitude of migratory birds. The Romans called the place Aquilaria or “land of the eagle”.
Every spring, 40,000 birds of prey of 24 different species, as well as thousands of storks and other smaller birds, stop at the cape before crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Crystal clear waters, coves and caves are the main attractions of the place. Three kilometers west of the city, the artificial caves of Ghar El Kebir were dug by prisoners or slaves under the authority of the Carthaginians and then the Romans. The blocks of stone that were extracted were transported by sea to Carthage, on the other side of the Gulf of Tunis. They were used for the construction of the Punic city, but also for the construction of the forts of the medina of Tunis. These underground quarries were exploited for nearly 1 000 years.

Duration : 3 hours
Natural hot springs, Korbous Tunisia

Korbous is a Tunisian spa located in the region of Cap Bon. This small city borders the gulf of Tunis and is located 60 kilometers from the capital.
Built on a mountainside along a single street, the place is already frequented by boat by the Romans of Carthage; they call it Aquae Calideae Carpitanae (Waters of Carpis), a small nearby city, because of the hot springs gushing out at more than 50 ° C, as evidenced by the many Roman remains and an inscription now exhibited at the National Museum of Bardo. Fallen into oblivion, the site was only visited by a local population after the Arab conquest. But, in the nineteenth century, Ahmed I Bey gave it a new lease of life by building a pavilion now occupied by the Tunisian Office of Thermalism privatized in 1997.
The hot sodium chloride waters and the cold calcium sulfide waters treat rheumatism, arthritis and certain affections of the nervous system.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes