Tunisia: exploring the mythical oases of the south

TunisiaThe city of Gafsa, located on the imaginary line that delimits southern Tunisia with the north, is considered the major communications hub connecting these two disparate geographical areas. The city is also a must-see after a nine-hour train ride from the capital, Tunis, to enter that part of the country; the body deserves a break.

In the mountains adjacent to the city, significant phosphate mining takes place, which is of great importance to the national economy, although this wealth is not reflected in Gafsa. Here, the population stays away from the tourist routes, more interested in the famous oases located a few kilometers away. This town was founded by the Romans and over the centuries became a highly coveted Amazigh territory.

In recent history, one notorious event stands out: on January 27, 1980, the city was invaded for three days by a Libyan commando force. Many young people joined the invading army to fight against their country, due to the feeling of abandonment generated by such a distant capital. Today, the city still exudes a certain sense of despondency. Daily life here is hard, poverty and neglect are very palpable. It's difficult to find a restaurant with even minimal hygiene, and there are very few places that offer comfortable, clean rooms. The city has a small medina, and it's actually very interesting. In the center are two impressive Roman cisterns made with large stone ashlars, masterfully joined together, where children often bathe after school. Next door is a café with a magnificent terrace and the Museum of History and Archaeology, which houses some interesting 4th-century Roman mosaics. The city also has a huge wall, which is part of a kasbah Built in 1436 by Abou Abdallah Mohamed, its interior, surprisingly, functions as a parking lot, while the exterior offers a peaceful walk alongside the palm grove.

The majestic Seldja Gorges are the main attraction near Gafsa. You have to go to Metlaoui, another town dedicated to phosphate mining, from where the legendary Lézard Rouge departs. This small railway that France gave to the King of Tunisia in 1940 has been fully restored and equipped to carry tourists eager to see these monumental gorges. The colonial-style train winds its way to Seldja station through a large gorge surrounded by impressive cliffs, where it seems Lawrence of Arabia could appear at any moment. The round trip takes about two hours, and the train makes stops to take a closer look at the landscape. The gorges can also be visited independently by car, but it is very difficult to find the road that leads inside.

Mountain oases

I still remember how difficult it was to get to Tamerza on my last trip through the south of the country. But fortunately for Tunisians, and travelers alike, getting to the mountain oases no longer requires navigating tricky roads where, on many occasions, the help of the local population is necessary to get out of difficult situations. Now, modest paved roads reach the remote oases of Chebika, Tamerza, and Midas. Many tourist agencies offer trails that avoid paved roads, so visitors feel like Indiana Jones when they reach the ruins of ancient villages, surrounded by immense palm groves.

In Tamerza, you have to leave the new town behind to reach the old city, which resembles a ruined fortress where the white domes of a marabout and the mosque clearly stand out. Wandering through its streets at dusk is like hearing a past that will never return. Heading toward the new village, you'll reach a large waterfall to enjoy a cup of tea and the refreshing coolness provided by the large waterfall, while surrounding it, you can discover some idyllic pools.

If you'd like to hire a guide to visit the other two mountain oases, head to the initiative center, where they offer several options for exploring the area. An interesting excursion, for those in good physical condition, is to walk to Medidas, up the steps carved into the rock that lead to this oasis. The hike, except during the rainy season, is comfortable and can be completed in about two hours. This village, abandoned since 1969, hangs from an impressive cliff that offers spectacular views over a huge pool that carries water collected during the rains. The scenery is beautiful.

The third oasis that attracts outsiders to this end of the country is Chebika, whose population moved to the plains in the 1960s due to the rock boulders that the mountain shed. It's very tourist-oriented because it has historically been the most accessible mountain oasis, with better communication routes than the other two.

The most magical south

The paradigm of the Tunisian oasis, and one of the most famous in the world, is Tozeur. Its immense palm grove, the largest in the country, exceeds a thousand hectares, houses more than 400,000 palm trees, and is irrigated by two hundred fountains. This makes it necessary to highlight the two points that are truly attractive for travelers: the medina and the palm grove.

The medina is a very beautiful architectural complex, based on a brick color very similar to desert sand, creating an intricate labyrinth where all the typical features of a road leading to nowhere and small hidden squares that appear in the most unexpected places meet. Of course, you can forget about Google Maps; it's impossible not to get lost in them. Worth a visit are the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions, located in a splendid building that served as a Koranic school, and the exterior of the Sidi Abib Lakhdhar Mosque. Medina, it's ideal to visit the factory where the bricks that make it are made, just outside Tozeur. Getting there is easy: from the Belvédère viewpoint, just follow the trail of smoke generated by the kilns. The clay is then heated to a temperature of 900°C in a palm wood kiln where the bricks are left to cool and reheat for a week.

The immense Tozeur palm grove deserves a leisurely visit. It is a large forest divided into three distinct levels: the lower level consisting of farmland, the middle level for fruit trees, and the upper level formed by palm trees that keep everything under a refreshing shade. To take a walk and discover all its secrets, it is best to go with a guide or someone familiar with the area. This is the most convenient way to avoid getting lost in the maze of paths that crisscross the vast palm grove and to see the truly attractive places. Everything from the palm tree is harvested, not just the date fruit: the sap is used to distill palm wine, the leaves are used to make baskets, the trunks are used to make beams or planks, and even the bones are highly coveted by camels.

Just a few kilometers away is Nefta, the second most important religious center in Tunisia after Kairouan, which has about twenty mosques and about one hundred marabouts. Its palm grove, known as the Oasis of the Corbeille or Basket, is famous for producing the best dates in the country, called deglet-nuro or fingers of light. The most splendid marabout is within the palm grove and dates back to the 13th century. It is the burial place of Sidi Bou Ali, a saint from Nefta venerated throughout Tunisia. Those fleeing mass tourism will find a pleasant refuge off the beaten track. It is a very peaceful town, with a medina that is slowly regaining its former splendor thanks to the restorations it has been undergoing for years.

To reach Douz, "the gateway to the desert," you must cross Chott El-Djerid. An immense salt lake that usually has a layer of salt on muddy sand. It is very dangerous to walk on the salt pans; there are numerous legends that explain how the lake swallowed caravans that tried to cross the great chottIn this unusual landscape, on days of radiant sunshine, you can enjoy a phenomenon as special as mirages: salt, sun rays and sight magically combine to create illusions on the distant horizon. chott.

When the rains fill it for a few days in winter, the salt lake abandons its appearance of a white carpet with surprising salt formations and becomes that of an inland sea. Watching the sunset on its horizon is a unique spectacle of unparalleled light and color, thanks to the power that the minerals impart to the reflected light.

Douz, the antechamber of the Sahara

As soon as you step outside the town of Douz, heading south, the first dune formations and the first herds of dromedaries appear, destined for tourist rides. Another of this town's great attractions, besides its impressive porticoed square, is the market held every Thursday, attended by locals, nomads, tourists, and people from neighboring towns. The most attractive part is the livestock trade, almost exclusively sheep. It's fabulous to watch them haggle to close deals; circles form around those who argue heatedly, while spectators comment on the action.

If you want to enjoy the desert away from the large number of tourists that normally flock to Douz, especially during the high season, the best thing to do is head to Zaafrane. The desert stretches almost to the doors of the houses. Just a little further into the first dunes will you discover the old village of Zaafrane, which offers a ghostly setting partially buried by the inexorably advancing sand. There are many options for camel treks: if you have time, it's best to book a two- or three-day trek; it's not very expensive, and the experience of walking and sleeping in the middle of the Sahara is sure to be a memory you'll remember for a lifetime.