Superyachts have been flocking back to the wonderfully exotic Tunisia after the over-cautious travel ban was lifted last year. We were very privileged to be invited for a tour by the Tunisian Ministry of Tourism and are happy to share the beauty of this northern African, French/British speaking country which is a mere 90 minute sail from Sardinia.
Tunisia is blessed with several superyacht marinas, including Port Yasmine near Hammamet, Bizerte and Port Marina de Gammarth. They have been a popular destination, welcoming the Mediterrranean superyacht community for many years due to excellent quality duty free fuel, customs and immigration departments who make any paperwork as easy as possible, and as a provisioning stop to take advantage of Tunisia’s world class fresh local produce.
As well as the advantages of being a non-EU country so close to the Mediterranean, Tunisia is a hub of history and culture and makes a fantastic destination for owners and charter guests keen to explore outside the usual yacht spots. French is Tunisia’s second language and all residents are taught French from a very early age, as well as English in more recent years so there won’t be a language barrier with anyone you meet.
Tunisia has a rich cultural heritage having been settled in by the Moors and the Romans. Carthage and its world famous ruins are breathtaking and only 30 minutes or so from popular Hammammet in the north. Hammammet also has fantastic shopping in both traditional souks and new, very modern shopping malls with lots of brands names you know and love.
The Bardo museum houses rich displays of Tunisian history within the walls of Husseinite palace, as well as an additional contemporary building added on to increase exhibition space. As well as Roman sarcophaguses, Punic jewels and precious cargo from a Roman ship wreck, the museum is home to the largest collection of mosaics in the world. These mosaics are astounding and must be seen in person to fully appreciate the sheer magnitude of work that went into these masterpieces.
Sidi Bou Said is also very much worthy of a visit. This is the picture perfect, idyllic village you‘ll see in many depictions of Tunisia. Built on a hill over looking a lovely small leisure marina with stunning mountain ranges in view across the bay, this is the place to experience the Tunisian picture you probably have in your mind. Full of boutique restaurants you will be spoiled for choice and we definitely recommend visiting Café Sidi Chebaane for the best views, a great mint tea, and pastries to die for.
Moving south we start to find places made famous in some very recognizable TV and films. Monty Python’s Life of Brian was filmed in Monastir, in and around a Ribat (castle) that was also a monastery at one point. Whether you are a fan or not, we highly recommend a visit to this beautiful place.
Slightly further south, you will find El Djem and its huge and very well maintained amphitheatre. Registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 the amphitheatre continues to be a cultural centre with theatre, opera and a range of classical and modern music performed there. The Romans seem to know a lot about building practical and beautiful structures and the ambiance and sound quality in this epic architecture are exquisite.
A little further south again and its back to film sets from one of the most famous films of all time. Located at a place called Tozeur you will find the film set for parts of the very first, original Star Wars: A New Hope, and the fictional Tatooine is also named after the real life city Tataouine in Tunisia. Tataouine also appeared in The X-Files – in the end of the The X-Files movie as Foum Tataouine, making this a double movie buff destination!
While you are in the southern part of the country, at the start of the Sahara desert, you can experience all sorts of desert activities. Night camping, camel riding trips and 4×4 motor cross days are very popular and usually come with a team of local residents who will cook you traditional Tunisian cuisine in stone earth ovens, or you can bring your own provisions if you prefer.
The sublime team at Yacht Services Tunisia are the best superyacht contacts you could have in this area. Founders Kim and Duncan sailed into Tunisia 12 years ago and never left. They know every corner of Tunisian life and can take care of everything you could possible need during your visit. They also have great taste in wine and food so be sure to take advantage of their recommendations.
YS Tunisia have offices in Port Yasmine, Bizerte and Marina Gammarth, have excellent relationships with customs and immigration and can deal with all the paperwork before you even arrive. Then they can arrange for bunkering, provisioning and organise the most fantastic trips to some of Tunisia’s famous places.
We particularly like the YS Tunisia ‘Follow Me’ program for yachts that wish to experience everything Tunisia has to offer. They meet you in the northern tip of Tunisia usually in Bizerte, and then follow your yacht along the coast line meeting up with you along the way to take you and your guests on cultural trips, picturesque viewpoints, shopping in the souks, and out to experience the delectable Tunisian foods at the very best restaurants. The same team follows you for the entire trip and is on call to help with anything you might need at a moments notice.
We can’t finish without mentioning the taste sensations on offer. Tunisia doesn’t import very much food at all and are almost self-sufficient. Most foods, herbs and spices are freshly and organically grown in their rich soils. They have excellent, I mean really excellent olive oil and their beef, lamb and chicken is also free range and chemical free. Tunisia is named after the Tuna run and the Med’s finest tuna skirt the coast and end up on the plates of locals and visitors alike.
We love that almost every coastal restaurant has its own little fishing team. Rather than commercial fishermen bringing in the catch of the day, each restaurant goes out in a little boat sand catches the fish they will need. The seas are clean and well stocked throughout Tunisia, and we enjoyed some of the finest fresh fish we have ever tasted. Yacht chefs regularly come and stock up their freezers with meat and fish and save an absolute fortune whilst buying some of the best produce in the world.
We hope you add Tunisia back into your travel itinerates for 2018 and for anything you need at all, we recommend you contact Kim and Duncan at Yacht Services Tunisia by emailing info@ys-tunisia.com, calling +216 98364875 or visiting their website ys-tunisia.com.
