Tamezret to Matmata
- Hike
- Distance
- 16km
- Duration
- 5HRS
- Ascent
- 276M
Listed 16 km / drawn track 25.6 km
Elevation profile
274-464 M / TERRAIN TILES SAMPLED ALONG THE TRACK
Photographs
Photos: AQVA121 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Verity Cridland (CC BY 2.0)
Start point
- Car
- About 10 km west of Matmata; Matmata is 45 km from Gabes and about 6 h from Tunis.
- Louage
- Louage from Tunis Moncef Bey station to Gabes (verify locally), then louage to Matmata and taxi to Tamezret.
- Bus / train
- SNCFT train Tunis-Gabes, then louage.
Nearby
The trail
A traverse of the Matmata hills from the stone village of Tamezret to the pit houses of Matmata.
Tamezret is a Berber hill village of stone houses facing the desert and is the starting point of the Grande Traversee du Dahar, a 194 km, 12-stage trail opened in 2021. This walk heads east over the dry limestone hills and wadis of the Matmata range, past terraced jessour dams where olives and figs grow behind earth walls. It ends in Matmata, famous for its troglodyte pit dwellings dug around sunken courtyards.
- Berber village of Tamezret
- Jessour terraces
- Troglodyte pit houses of Matmata
- Start of the Grande Traversee du Dahar
Weather and season
- SEASON
- Oct-Apr
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14.1 C | 5.4 C | 10 mm |
| February | 15.5 C | 6.3 C | 17 mm |
| March | 19.5 C | 9.2 C | 22 mm |
| April | 24.5 C | 12.7 C | 12 mm |
| May | 28.1 C | 16.3 C | 4 mm |
| June | 32.3 C | 19.9 C | 2 mm |
| July | 35.4 C | 22.8 C | 0 mm |
| August | 34.7 C | 22.9 C | 2 mm |
| September | 31.6 C | 21.2 C | 7 mm |
| October | 26.4 C | 16.9 C | 12 mm |
| November | 19.7 C | 11.2 C | 20 mm |
| December | 14.9 C | 6.9 C | 14 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
- Cafes in Tamezret and Matmata only; carry 3 L.
- Guide
- recommended
- Hazards
- No shade; unmarked tracks; heat outside winter.
- 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.