The border region of the Tunisian Sahara has a wealth of sights and experiences to offer holiday makers. Shade and tranquillity can be enjoyed at the oasis towns of Tozeur, Chebika, Tamerza and Nafta whilst on the road into the desert, the great salt lake of Chat El Jeri, with its mirages and salt sculptures sits at the foot of the Atlas Mountains.
Tozeur, on the Western Edge of the Sahara
By far the largest oasis town in the region, Tozeur is situated near the southern range of the Atlas Mountains. The oasis covers an area of around 25 miles, a dense patch of greenery against the ochre landscape of the desert. Tozeur’s palm groves are sustained by 200 mineral springs. The water from these springs has always been prized, attracting many people from the Romans to the Berber tribes who still populate the area.
Tozeur is a perfect base for exploring the western edge of the Sahara. Explore the town’s ancient streets, where fragments of the town’s roman past mix with Tozeur's present day buildings. The town itself has its own very particular architectural style. The facades of the buildings are faced with intricate patterns of yellow and ochre clay bricks, designed to insulate against the extremes of desert temperature. These patterns find their echo in the wool rugs produced and sold in the town.
A caleche trip is a pleasant way to enjoy the Oasis’s palm groves which are also rich with figs, bananas, olives and apricots. Or try a day trip by jeep to the nearby oasis Berber towns
Chebika, Tamerza and Nafta-the Oasis in the Desert
Just an hour or so jeep ride from Tozeur are three very different kinds of oasis. Chebika, Tamerza and Nafta are all famous for their tranquil settings that make a pleasant respite from the arid desert landscape.
Chebika is situated amongst the mountainous gorges of the desert scrub land. Springs tumble down from the mountains, flowing through gorges to feed the local wadi or river. The springs also sustain the azure blue oasis pools surrounded in palm groves, which were once the bathing pools of Sufi Muslims.
The clay brick and timber remains of the original settlement, destroyed by floods in the 1960s can be seen on the way up the gorge. They are reminder of the deadly power of nature in this beautiful environment. The modern settlement, rebuilt with government help, is further up the gorge and the spot to but local souvenirs.
Nearby are the oasis of Tamerza and Nefta. Nefta, with its 3000,000 palm trees growing on terraced slopes thanks to wells bored 2100ft into the desert, is another haven of shade and peace whilst Tamerza, with its Wild West landscape and the deserted old town, gradually returning to the desert surprises its visitors with a vibrant waterfall at the end of its wadi.
Chat El Jeri-the Tunisian Salt Lake
Outside Tozeur is another natural phenomenon: the great salt lake of Chat El Jeri. A natural salt flat, it stretches along the base of the Atlas Mountains. Its glistening salt crystals, give the landscape a lunar quality. Here and there, around the narrow water channels that run just along the surface of the salt flat are pink veins of algae that thrive in the salty environment.
Mirages can appear in the haze along the horizon of the lake but the air is surprisingly fresh and cool. The locals make the most of what the lake has to offer. Local hotels hold windsurfing contests along its surface; whilst along the roadside can be seen collections of ice sculptures. Subject matter is diverse: from cartoon characters to groups of camels. Close to the sculptures, are roadside stalls whose speciality are the peculiar calcium formations known as desert roses. Unique to the Sahara, they remind the tourist the desert is not far away.
Sources
Tunisia (2005) Michael Tomkinson. Oxford; Michael Tomkinson publishing
Tunisian tourist office
Natasha Sheldon - A writer since 2000, Natasha Sheldon holds a BA Hons in ancient history and archaeology and MA in ancient history and historiography.
Join the Conversation