HAMMAMET
Area: Tunisia


Location:
On the NE coast of Tunisia. 45 miles SE of the capital Tunis and its international airport. 60 miles N of Monastir airport.

Telephone code from UK:
216

Website:
http://www.tourismtunisia.com

Position:
On the N edge of the Gulf of Hammamet, with a backdrop of nondescript low hills, olive groves and vineyards.

Description:
A large, well-established resort that first found popularity in the early 1970s, Hammamet stretches nearly 10 miles around the bay. Rapid hotel development has resulted in its further expansion several miles to the W, in the form of another tourist zone called Yasmine Hammamet. The town's focal point _ located on a small, central promontory _ is the walled old town (Medina), whose crowded, twisting alleyways have a genuine North African atmosphere. At one corner stands the impressive and well-preserved old fort, which overlooks a broad sweep of beach littered with small, brightly coloured fishing boats typical of the region. The Medina is surrounded by a more modern but rather shambolic shopping district of bustling stores and street stalls wedged between restaurants and cafes.

Suitability:
Middle to upmarket couples and families looking for a beach holiday with a difference. Particularly popular with French, German and British pensioners in winter.

Accommodation:
Most hotels are 3 or 4 stars, generally fairly remote and scattered haphazardly along the "Touristic Routes" which extend for 4 or 5 miles in each direction from the centre. Many are virtually self-contained, with their own leisure and entertainment programmes and bazaars. Self-catering is rare apart from a couple of aparthotels.

Shopping:
Abundant unsophisticated souvenir shops, kiosks and street vendors where bartering is a way of life and rather fun. Local ceramics, pottery, local jewellery and carpets are popular bargains. Many hotels have their own shops and bazaars where one can browse in peace, although prices are higher. Local market twice weekly.

Beach:
Most hotels tend their own private sections of the long, white, sandy beaches that stretch for several miles in both directions beyond the centre. Public stretches can suffer from seaweed, assorted litter and flotsam. The sea is said to be safe for children, with lifeguard beach patrols in the summer.

Entertainments:
Daytime: predominantly beach-based, with water sports (summer months only). Two golf courses. Walks along extensive beaches, through the Medina and around souvenir shops. Horse and camel rides. Small funfair. Nightlife: liveliest in summer, although, apart from those in the hotels, most bars close by midnight. Hotels also offer entertainment programmes to residents. Several hotel nightclubs.

Eating:
A broad selection of restaurants, concentrated in the resort centre and dotted along the main roads, offering Tunisian and international cuisine of varying standards. The best are to be found in the smarter hotels. Several pizzerias, but don't expect Italian quality. Limited fast food.

Public-transport:
Taxis are plentiful and cheap but expect to haggle over the fare; buses are cheaper but rather irregular and less convenient. Minitrain; horse-drawn carriages. Rail service to Tunis and Sousse.

Local-excursions:
Full day: Tunis/Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, Sousse and Monastir (full day), which includes Kairouan. 2 or 3 days: Desert Safari that runs S to the Sahara, visiting oasis towns, Roman ruins, salt lakes, troglodyte settlements and the desert itself.