Tozeur to the Mountain Oases: Chebika and Tamerza
- Bike
- Distance
- 67.1km
- Duration
- 5HRS
- Ascent
- 392M
Elevation profile
0-317 M / TERRAIN TILES SAMPLED ALONG THE TRACK
Photographs
Photos: Ridiculopathy (CC BY-SA 4.0), Dennis G. Jarvis (CC BY-SA 2.0), Glasreifen (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Start point
- Car
- Tozeur is about 6 h from Tunis via Kairouan and Gafsa.
- Louage
- Louage from Tunis Moncef Bey station to Tozeur (verify locally).
- Bus / train
- Flights Tunis-Tozeur; SNCFT train Tunis-Tozeur (via Metlaoui); SNTRI buses from Tunis.
Nearby
The trail
A paved desert ride from Tozeur across the plain to the mountain oases of Chebika and Tamerza at the foot of the Algerian border ranges.
North of Tozeur the land rises from the chott toward the Djebel en Negueb, and a paved road crosses the open plain to the three mountain oases of the Djerid. The first is Chebika, where palms fill a narrow gorge under an abandoned stone village; the road then climbs gently along the range to Tamerza, the largest of the three, with its waterfalls and the ruined old village left empty after the floods of 1969. A mapped Tozeur-Tamerza ride measures 67.1 km with about 390 m of climbing, most of it after Chebika. Strong riders can add the 6 km to Mides and its canyon on the border; most arrange a car back to Tozeur, as there is nothing to refill between Tozeur and Chebika.
- Palm gorge and abandoned village at Chebika
- Waterfalls and old village of Tamerza
- Open desert plain north of Tozeur
- Optional extension to the Mides canyon
Weather and season
- SEASON
- October to April
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16.7 C | 5.8 C | 4 mm |
| February | 18.3 C | 6.9 C | 10 mm |
| March | 22.3 C | 10.5 C | 12 mm |
| April | 27.8 C | 15 C | 10 mm |
| May | 32 C | 19 C | 3 mm |
| June | 36.7 C | 23.3 C | 1 mm |
| July | 39.7 C | 26 C | 0 mm |
| August | 38.7 C | 26 C | 2 mm |
| September | 35 C | 23.4 C | 5 mm |
| October | 29.1 C | 18 C | 8 mm |
| November | 22.1 C | 11.7 C | 10 mm |
| December | 17.3 C | 7.2 C | 7 mm |
Monthly normals 2011-2020 at the start point, from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Shaded months are the season this trail is listed for.
Practical
- Water
- Carry 3 L; nothing between Tozeur and Chebika, cafes in Chebika and Tamerza.
- Guide
- not needed
- Hazards
- Heat and wind on the exposed plain; tour traffic near the oases; flash floods in the wadis after rare heavy rain.
- Route
- Approximate line along mapped paths between verified waypoints. Follow a guide or a GPS track on the ground.
Go with a guide
These operators and clubs organise guided hikes in Tunisia:
- WildyNessTunisian booking platform for guided hikes with local guides (Cap Blanc, Mides, Selja, Dahar, El Haouaria), several with GPS downloads.
- Association Tunisienne des RandonneursHiking association in Tunis that runs and writes up group hikes across the country.
- Mosaic North AfricaTour operator offering custom hiking trips, including the Chebika, Tamerza and Mides oases.
- Destination DaharPublishes the official topoguide (12 stages, 194 km) of the Grande Traversee du Dahar.
- Grand Sahara AventuresDjerba-based operator running Berber village and desert treks in the south.
- Destination TunisTunis-based guide publishing and leading day hikes around Tunis and Cap Bon.