Disembarked in Tunisia: the Mediterranean of Mosques and Mosaics

On December 17, 2010, a Tunisian street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in an act of desperate protest that not only changed Tunisia, but would spark revolutions across the Arab world. The day after his self-immolation, Tunisians outraged by corruption, poor living conditions, and a lack of free speech took to the streets launching a month-long revolution Bouazizi would not live to see finished, but that would end the twenty-three-year rule of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The Jasmine Revolution was over, and the Arab Spring was just beginning.

Now seven years later, while the country is struggling with a litany of economic concerns, ask around and you’ll hear just how much things have changed.

“It used to be 1984,” a friend tells me over beers on a flower-scented bar terrace in downtown Tunis. “They monitored everything we did. But not anymore.”

It’s hard for me to imagine this atmosphere of repression, because over the course of my three-week visit to Tunis, everything was decidedly laid back. In fact, I’d go as far as recommending the city and its suburbs as a premium vacation destination for anyone looking to visit the Mediterranean—especially if you want to avoid the high price-tag that accompanies stretches along the French and Italian rivieras.

The Suburbs of Tunis

Tunis itself is a few miles off the coast straddling two sizeable lakes. We’ll return to the capital in a moment, and first look at the three coastal suburbs that are a short taxi ride out of town.

Carthage: Ruins and Relaxation

I stayed in the heart of upscale Carthage, where you’ll find a relaxed gathering of fine, whitewashed houses of typically North African design decorated with palm trees, hanging vines, and vibrant flowers of violet, cerulean, and crimson. Here it seems like walking a handful of blocks in any direction will bring you to ruins dating back thousands of years.

Carthage is a history-nerd’s paradise. It’s situated around a once-military port, now-fishing lagoon that was built by the Phoenicians some twenty-seven-hundred years ago. It’s the birthplace of Hannibal, famed for his elephant march through the Alps against Rome. The Romans leveled the original Carthage as retribution, then later rebuilt it in their own manner, the ruins of which are those you can explore today. Later still, Carthage became an important gathering place for early Christians.

Today—home of Tunisia’s presidential palace—Carthage is the region’s most affluent town. In their spare time its predominantly Muslim residents can be found relaxing in cafes where they sip coffee and smoke hookah and watch the football match. Or they’re swimming with their families along one of the many shore accesses. Or they head up the coast to party.

La Marsa and Gammarth: the Nightlife

The party rages every night in the towns of la Marsa and Gammarth—two small suburbs strung along the coast that are home to a slew of elaborately decorated bars, many of which stay open until well after two in the morning. These hangouts tend to offer abundant personality. Open air dancefloors driven by big-beat music, hallucinatory lighting, swimming pools, beachfront locations with access to the sand—Tunisians know how to party. A few bars that stood out were Yuka (part of a big dance bar complex on the beach), Play Bar (swimming pool, tapas, beach view), and Hotel Plaza Corniche (perhaps the most ornate bar I’ve ever seen).

Sidi Bou Said: Shopping and Scenery

Between there and Carthage is Sidi Bou Said, which sits upon a hill providing vantages of the Mediterranean and surrounding coastline that are certain to inspire envy in your social media followers. This is place for market shopping, coffee or drinks with a view, and wandering the gorgeous high-walled streets lined with blue doors and trim. Here I recommend Café des Delices for an expansive and somewhat renowned coastal view, or la Villa Bleue, a more out of the way hotel and restaurant with a hidden balcony that overlooks the sea and provides a nice breeze when the day gets too hot.

There are a number of historical landmarks spanning the Carthage-la Marsa stretch, and I consider three to be must-see’s. First are those of the ancient Carthaginian city spanning the Antonine Baths and the walled-town of Byrsa—a collection of ruins leftover from when the Romans rebuilt the city. They’ve got a real Indiana Jones vibe. Up the hill from these you’ll find a Roman amphitheater nestled in the woods that is so casually unmarked by fencing or signage that you basically have to stumble upon it by accident. This is a popular picnicking spot among the locals. Then just between Carthage and Sidi Bou Said is a cemetery for Americans who were killed during the WWII battle for Tunisia, back when Patton and the Allies chased the Nazis and Italian fascists out of North Africa, which was a key turning point in the war.

Now that we’ve taken a look at the coast—on to Tunis.

Tunis: the Food, the Medina, the View

Personally, I recommend staying in one of the aforementioned suburbs simply due to their beach proximity, but for a 10-dinar cab ride (or roughly $4.00 – we’ll get into the money in a bit) Tunis is within easy reach.

Start at the clock tower of Habib Bourguiba then make your way northeast up the main strip. Venture off this to find an array of restaurants spanning high-end seafood joints to hole-in-the wall kebab and fricassee places.

A word on the food—there are a lot of great restaurants around, but I’m all about the random grab-and-go spots. These will provide you with a wealth of richly-flavored dishes and sandwiches/shawarmas built around lamb, chicken, and beef. Or there’s fricassee, which is tuna, egg, olives, potato, and the Tunisian hot-sauce harissa, all packed into a doughnut-like bun. And if you get the chance try brik, which is arguably the most traditional Tunisian dish. It’s rather difficult to describe—like a calzone of tuna and parsley with a soft-boiled egg in the middle, wrapped in a thin pastry dough then deep fried.

I’d say that the primary draw in Tunis is the Medina market—kilometer after kilometer of passageways lined with street vendors selling virtually everything you can imagine: tea sets, hookahs, coffee, rugs and bolts of patterned cloth, leather-goods, shiny touristy things, fruit and meat, spices, and so on and so on. Give yourself a good couple of hours to wander its wares, because you will get lost.

Look for a café called Panorama Medina. You’ll see its large sign placed over a set of nondescript doors, and after entering these if you are put off by the decidedly unbusinesslike atmosphere of the stair (it feels rather like you’re climbing into someone’s apartment), don’t lose heart. You will be rewarded at the top by a richly mosaiced café offering a stunning 360-degree view of the city.

Now—cost. Tunisia is not an expensive place to visit, by any means. The Tunisian dinar falters against the dollar at a rate of nearly 3:1. Translation—your money will go far. Food and booze are cheap. You can easily find an Airbnb or hostel for under $50/night, and a room at the luxurious Villa Didon in Carthage (nestled just beneath the ruins of Byrsa, boasting a lovely restaurant and bar with a view of the sea) will run you around $150 a night. At the bars of la Marsa or Gammarth, you would have to seriously tie one on to receive a bill over $30 or so.

Finally, you might have questions about safety. Every city has crime, and Tunis is no exception. Tunisia is grappling with a high unemployment rate of around 15%, so of course a certain level of criminality and street hustle happens—just as it does in any city in the U.S. But I can report that I never once felt unsafe, and in the suburb of Carthage I felt quite the opposite. It’s a rather welcoming place.

To me, Carthage is a town of evening walks through a rich infusion of humid warmth and jasmine. It is happy, friendly families gathered at beach alcoves swimming and cooling off during the heat of the day, or watching the expansive coastal sunsets later on. It is going out to la Marsa or Gammarth to drink, dance, and talk late into the night (or early into the morning).

In other words, it’s the same Mediterranean lifestyle I’d come to expect from southern Europe, but with a North African twist. It’s the Mediterranean of mosaics and mosques, and it offers a reprieve from the tourist hoards and high-price tags that are found in the cities on the other side of the sea.

A Few Tips

Getting there

The easiest way to get from the airport to Tunis or any of its suburbs is by taxi. While most drivers are on the level, beware that occasionally airport drivers look to inflate the rates for inexperienced visitors. The rate shouldn’t cost more than 12-22 dinar, depending on where you go.

The money situation

Cash machines are plentiful if you want cash, and it is a good idea to have it. While the majority of establishments accept cards, the Tunisian banking system isn’t great and sometimes international cards don’t work. There is no typical tipping rate, but ten percent seems pretty standard.

Drinking in Tunis

While bars are plentiful, keep in mind that Tunis is a Muslim-majority country so drinking is not always all that out in the open. Many of the bars you’ll see in the city itself are hidden, smoke-filled rooms of men pounding beers, though there are many cocktail bars scattered around. For a happening night out, your best bet is to taxi over to La Marsa or Gammarth (8-14 dinar) where the bar/club scene is expansive.