National park / Nabeul
Zembra and Zembretta Islands National Park
National park
Nabeul
- Protected
- 1977
Two steep sandstone islands off Cap Bon, ringed by clear water and seabird cliffs. Zembra holds the largest Cory's shearwater colony in the Mediterranean and the surrounding sea is monk seal habitat; landing is tightly controlled and the islands are effectively closed to ordinary visitors.
Rules
A PERMIT IS NEEDED TO VISIT
- PERMIT
- Yes, and it is rarely given. Any visit to Zembra needs authorisation from the Agence de Protection et d'Amenagement du Littoral (APAL) and the National Guard, applied for at least 30 days ahead. Zembretta is closed outright.
- GUIDE
- Visits run only as escorted scientific or official parties.
- SEASON
- Seabirds breed from spring to late summer, when disturbance is most damaging.
- RULES
- No landing without authorisation, no camping, no fires. A naval base occupies part of Zembra.
Good to know
- Habitat
- Steep Oligocene sandstone and marl islands with maquis, sea cliffs and Posidonia meadows offshore
- Wildlife
- The Mediterranean's largest Cory's shearwater colony, Yelkouan shearwater, Audouin's gull and the Mediterranean monk seal
- Status
- UNESCO biosphere reserve since 1977; Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance
- Getting there
- About 15 km offshore from Sidi Daoud on Cap Bon; visible from the coast road
Places inside
Photographs
Sources
Photos: IssamBarhoumi (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- OpenStreetMap relation 3152103
- UNESCO MAB: Iles Zembra et Zembreta
- Key Biodiversity Areas: Archipel de Zembra
- Boundary from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).