Tunisia’s Warm Winters Entice

Tunisia, with its desert tourism, may just be the new spot for relaxation and culture

It was last January that the Jasmine Revolution ousted Tunisia’s President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, eventually leading to free and democratic elections and the drafting of a new constitution.

A year later, Tunisia is in the midst of restructuring but is completely safe for travelers. Between the bar and the mosque, wearing shorts or the veil, both worlds seem to coexist in harmony, inspired by the new democracy that is being built.

The mild climate in winter is a good time to choose to become familiar with Tunisia, when the country becomes a haven away from the regular tourist traffic and visitors can experience its rich and varied cultural heritage at a lower cost than in the high season.

Beautiful and peaceful, the coastal capital of Tunis should be visited in winter to experience all it has to offer in relative quiet.

At the onset of winter, Tunis opens up like a flower. Tourists are also greeted in perfect French, the second most commonly spoken language in the country after Arabic. Being Francophone, for us this was really the icing on the cake!

Agriculture is the largest industry in the country, and the cuisine varies from one region to another. However, Tunisian resorts offer many other amenities aside from gourmet eating.

Cultural Journey

Tunisia has the largest collection of mosaics in the world after Italy, which illustrates the cultural wealth of the country. The Bardo National Museum in the western district of Tunis is dedicated entirely to the mosaics.

The mosaics have been carefully restored, forming several meters of frescoes dating back to the Carthaginian, Roman, and Arab invasions, moving through prehistory to the Muslim period. The museum remains open to the public despite renovations that will add two additional floors to accommodate its extensive collection.

Visiting the House of Crafts is a must in Tunis. Whether shopping for ceramics, rugs, baskets, bird cages, leather goods, engraved plates, or embroidered dresses, prices are amazingly low and profits go directly to the artisans. The state subsidizes a portion of the rental spaces to encourage crafts, the heart of tourism.

If you are looking for pottery, Nabeul, a town 67 kilometres southeast of Tunis on the south coast of the peninsula of Cape Bon, is the place to be.