If you visit Tunisia during summer, there is no better way to enjoy the country other than hanging around at its beaches. An ideal destination for this type of escape is Hammamet. I wouldn’t say that Hammamet itself has too many things to do but undoubtedly it offers a great opportunity to enjoy the beach and nearby cities.
Let’s see what it can offer:
Medina of Hammamet: A very cute but quite small Medina full of white and blue elements and buildings, with little stores where you can buy lovely souvenirs and where you can hear the prayers from the Grand Mosque, creating an imposing atmosphere.
Mermaids of Hammamet: A statue of three mermaids next to the sea opens the road to a coastal promenade outside of the city’s Medina leading to Hammamet Beach. One of the best walks and must do when in Hammamet that you can’t miss especially when there is a full moon.
Plage De Hammamet: another beautiful spot to watch the sunset and little kids playing by the beach.
Yasmine Hammamet: This is the new part of the city around 15-20 minutes ride from the old Medina. A long street full of palm trees, next to a huge impressive, sanded beach is the main image of this modern part of the city. You may also try a massage package at Glamour Thalasso & SPA at Mehari Hammamet Hotel (the sea algae body wrap is extremely good!)
Nabeul: The neighbor city Nabeul (about 15-20 minutes by taxi from old City of Hammamet) is for me a must visit. Its Medina is one of the cutest and most beautiful medinas I have ever visited. Especially if you like ceramics this is the right place to be. Make sure to have enough place in your luggage as in this medina you can buy the most colorful and impressive plates and ceramics products you can imagine at the best prices!
Day trip from Hammamet to Monastir, Sousse and Kairouan
An interesting and affordable private day trip from Hammamet is composed of three unique and different cities; Monastir, Sousse and Kairouan. During this day trip you will enjoy the imposing Ribat de Monastir, an impressive fortress with a great view from its tower all over the sea and the city of Monastir, you can stroll around the Medina of Sousse, protected by the UNESCO with its vibrant markets and you will end admiring the biggest mosque of all Africa at the traditional Islamic city of Kairouan. The Great Mosque of Kairouan is absolutely monumental on both its outside and inside and you cannot miss it. The Medina of Kairouan is also unique and traditional, full of narrow streets, polite people and lovely stores where you can buy impressive souvenirs (masks of leather for decoration or little mirrors with the typical Tunisian doors at very good prices).
Useful Tips
Transportation: Speaking about transportation I would like to point out the ways that you can get around the country. The best taxi app that I used is Indrive. You can bargain the price online with the drivers (which is quite amusing) and make sure you have cash as cards are not accepted. Be careful though! Indrive and other taxi apps can be legally used only within the same city and its surroundings (ex. within Tunis or Hammamet and their surroundings but if you wish to travel between Tunis and Hammamet (which is a 2 hour drive), even though the app suggests you drivers and prices, when you try to book it, the drivers ask a lot bigger price and this ride is not considered legal, so in case of control you might face issues).
Therefore, the most affordable and legal way to go around the country is by little minibuses (8-10 seats) called Louage! There are no fixed itineraries, you only need to go to the Louage station and wait until they are full. That means that especially on popular routes, the buses come practically every 5-10 minutes. You pay for the ticket by cash inside the minibus and enjoy the ride (not a luxurious one but undoubtedly typical experience of the country). Your last option of going around cities in Tunisia is by private taxis or tours which are expensive in my opinion but certainly more comfortable.
Money Exchange: Cards may be used at hotels and restaurants but for taxis, shopping and daily expenses always cash is needed. Please note that the Tunisian dinar is a strictly regulated closed currency. That practically means that you cannot bring Tunisian dinars nor take them with you outside the country. Therefore, you need to exchange them before leaving the country.
Shopping: Make sure to bargain and have extra luggage room for souvenirs, colorful ceramic plates, the yummiest dates that you have ever tasted (around 2 euros for half kilo) and endless couscous (0,20 euros for 1 kilo).
For more information or to help you plan your ideal trip within your budget, please contact us.