From our special correspondent Fanny Suteau – Just a two-hour flight from Lyon, the smallest state in the Maghreb is full of riches. From the capital Tunis to Carthage via Sidi Bou Saïd, the country is increasingly asserting itself as an appreciable destination, with a thousand and one treasures, at the crossroads between vestiges of the past and modernity.
In this month of June, despite the rain, which is rare at this time of year, the heat is heavy. It is pitch black but the smell of the first drops on the asphalt is the omen of a hot summer day gone. Cats all over the streets of the capital, lurking in the shadows, protect themselves from this violent downpour. The night would be short but the first rays of the sun in the early morning will quickly erase the lack of sleep.
Archaeological site of Oudhna, ancient Uthina
Because Tunisia is not just about that. The land of jasmine is much prettier. On the edge of the Sahara Desert, the small state of 12 million inhabitants never ceases to surprise visitors with its cultural and historical wealth. The archaeological sites of Carthage and Oudhna reveal the vestiges of the past and the history of this country, full of contrasts, traditions, colors, and scents.
Archaeological site of Carthage
A country with Mediterranean flavors
The streets of the Medina of Tunis
The cobbled streets of the Medina of Tunis, polished by the incessant passage of onlookers, are full of color with the doors of the houses all different from each other. It then only takes a few minutes on foot to arrive in the heart of the capital, where the smells of the sea and grilled meats meet and where the specialties jostle.
At the central market, thousands of fish lie on the stalls of traders. A little further, fruits and vegetables offer customers a multitude of choices… and flavors! Lemons, lettuces, radishes, carrots and endives intermingle in these large aisles.
More than 6 million visitors in 2022
Visitors can then enjoy the country’s traditions such as Tunisian tea, fish couscous, or the famous red pepper puree, declared a UNESCO intangible heritage in December 2022: harissa. To the south, the Nabeul souk is overflowing with pottery of all kinds.
And it is impossible to leave the country without having visited Sidi Bou Saïd, a city also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Perched on a cliff, this mythical village gives way on one side to Carthage and the Gulf of Tunis and on the other, to houses in white and blue colors, bathed in sunlight. A decor worthy of the most beautiful postcards.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Get there with Transavia
For 10 years, Transavia has been offering the opportunity to discover these Tunisian landscapes all year round, with six flights per week, departing from Lyon, from… €49 one way. But the low-cost airline of the Air France group and its around 2,300 employees in France is not to be outdone. It operates around 200 airlines from France and around 30 from Lyon, transporting nearly 9.8 million passengers in 2022.
Better, two new international lines from Lyon will see the light of day. First destination is Dubai from the end of October 2023 (three flights per week, from €159 one way) then next winter, heading towards Cairo (two flights per week, from €99 € one way). Enough to finish winning the hearts of the Lyonnais.
“Travel is a kind of door through which we leave reality as if to enter an unexplored reality which seems like a dream,” wrote Guy de Maupassant. At the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Tunisia provides all the guarantees.
And to sleep?
> Dar Ben Gacem – Tunis
A true palace in the medina of Tunis, this hotel is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Decorated in a traditional Tunisian style, its rooms have air conditioning and a private bathroom with a shower. The establishment offers its visitors breakfast every morning, to be enjoyed on the terrace or in the traditional patio lounge.
38, rue du Pacha – 1006 Tunis
> Mövenpick Gammarth – Tunis
Located in the heart of a residential area overlooking one of the most beautiful bays in the Mediterranean, the 5-star hotel combines business and well-being. It has 110 rooms and 9 suites as well as a private beach, an outdoor swimming pool, two tennis courts, a spa with heated swimming pool, a fitness center, a hammam and a beauty salon.
Avenue Taieb M’hiri BP 36, La Marsa – 2078 Tunis
>The Orangers Garden Villas & Bungalows – Hammamet
The 5-star hotel, inaugurated in 2018, combines luxury and all-inclusive . It has 289 rooms, 23 suites, 16 bungalows and 4 villas but also an outdoor swimming pool, an indoor swimming pool and a swimming pool for children’s leisure activities, a private beach, a hammam, a sauna, a fitness room and possibility of massages. Its 5-hectare garden offers a green setting to visitors who can enjoy orange trees, jasmine flowers and palm trees.
Governorate of Nabeul, rue de Nevers – 8050 Hammamet
> The Blue Villa – Sidi Bou Saïd
In the heart of the most legendary village in Tunisia, this hotel has 13 rooms and suites with an Arab-Andalusian spirit. A luxurious haven of peace, suspended between sky and sea. Some balconies offer a breathtaking 180° view of the Sidi Bou Saïd marina, Jebel Boukornine and the Tunis golf course.
68, rue Kennedy – 2026 Sidi Bou Saïd
Tunisian National Tourist Office
16, rue Friant – 75014 Paris
Tel. 01 44 51 51 74
