:: Attractions : Cap Bon


Cap Bon is known as the Garden of Tunisia. The peninsula combines sleepy villages, rolling green fields and vineyards with the biggest, the most sophisticated and most cosmopolitan resort in the country. 

HAMMAMET : 
There is a curious little law prevailing in Hammamet, situated 64 km (40 miles) southeast of Tunis. The local law prohibits hotels being built higher than the tallest surrounding palm tree! That must certainly be preserving the landscape of the town. Known as the Garden Resort for its eucalyptus trees, citrus groves and flowering shrubs, Hammamet has been attracting package holidaymakers since the 1960s. It now extends almost as far as Nabeul in the north while 8 km (5 miles) to the south, a massive new sister resort Yasmine Hammamet is being completed.

Kasbah, which was first, built in the 15th century but heavily restored since, is the focal point of the town. It provides the main entry to Hammamet’s small medina, which is packed with souvenir shops selling leather ware, clothes, pottery, stuffed camels and birdcages.
Hammamet has many restaurants to suit all tastes and pockets. Most of the major hotels are set alongside the town’s sandy beach – with many also offering indoor and outdoor pools.
Beach activities include sailing, windsurfing and par ascending. Most evening entertainment is hotel-based and includes discos and folklore evenings.

Golf: Hammamet is a popular center for golfers with two major courses including the Citrus Golf Complex, which offers two 18-hole championship courses and a 9-hole practice course.

Among Hammamet’s few tourist sights is the International Cultural Centre located in a villa once described by Frank Lloyd Wright as the most beautiful in the world. In recent years, it has been the venue for Hammamet’s annual summer cultural festival. The guest list of the center is fabulous and has included Churchill, Rommel and Anthony Eden.

NABEUL:
Located just 10 km (6 miles) south of Hammamet, Nabeul has always been overwhelmed by its bigger neighbour. But it has been trying to overcome this domination during the past decade by exploiting its own tourism potential and now boasts a string of large beachfront hotels. Nabeul is the centre of Tunisia’s pottery industry, which dates back to Roman times. The distinctive and very collectable blue and white pottery can be bought all over Tunisia but Nabeul offers one of the widest selections. Tourists who dislike the idea of haggling can buy items at two official tourist shops in the town where prices are fixed.

 Every Friday Nabeul plays host to a Camel Market, which seems to draw considerably more tourists than it does camels – but it is a good opportunity for shopping and hunting for bargains. More than all it provides a thrilling and exotic ambience.

EL HAOUARIA: 
Best-known for its annual June falconry festival. On the outskirts of the village opposite the island of Zembra is a spectacular series of Roman caves. The nearby caves, Les Grottes des Chauves-Souris, are home to thousands of bats.

KELIBIA: 
Kelibia is a picturesque and thriving fishing port which makes a good base for exploring the more rural parts of the Cap Bon region. A massive sixth-century fort overlooks the town and offers spectacular views.