It was from these dry and arid coastlands on the very tip of North Africa that the great kings and queens of Carthage contended with the might of the Roman Empire. It was here that the Arab Caliphates of the region established their trading foothold on the Mediterranean Sea. Today though, Tunis revels in a relative touristic obscurity that makes it one of the truly raw and engaging off-the-beaten-track destinations in the country, where visitors can wander ancient ruins and savour one of Tunisia’s liveliest and most local towns.
Be sure to head for the Medina, where a maze of ancient alleyways sprout mosques, hammams, palaces and a bubbling souk selling camel skin products from the same shelves as hand-crafted jewellery and trinkets. Then there’s Tunis’ famous French cafes, with their strong coffee and Casablanca-esque vibe arranged along the tree lined boulevards of Avenue Bourguiba in the newer part of town.
Soon enough, your Tunis tourist guide will point you to the most important must see of the city lying just to its north, within easy reach on the TGM trains from Tunis. This is the site of ancient Carthage, where the Roman invaders made their African home, and the where the sprawling Antonin Baths, the famous water cisterns and alluringly dilapidated amphitheatre can still be discovered in all their glory.