Chebika Canyon and Old Village
- Hike
- Distance
- 1.4km
- Duration
- 1HRS
- Ascent
- 35M
Listed 1.4 km / drawn track 1 km
Elevation profile
135-162 M / TERRAIN TILES SAMPLED ALONG THE TRACK
Photographs
Photos: AQVA121 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Rawen Ab (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Start point
- Car
- About 60 km north-west of Tozeur on the mountain oasis road.
- Louage
- Louage from Tunis Moncef Bey station to Tozeur (verify locally), then taxi or tour.
- Bus / train
- SNCFT train Tunis-Tozeur (via Metlaoui), then taxi.
Nearby
The trail
A short loop through the ruined village, spring and palm gorge of the Chebika mountain oasis.
Chebika is a mountain oasis at the foot of a ridge of tilted rock strata on the northern edge of the Chott el Djerid. The old mud and stone village, abandoned after the 1969 floods, clings to the rock above a narrow gorge where a spring feeds a small waterfall and pools that water the palm grove. The loop climbs over the ruins to viewpoints across the salt flats before dropping into the gorge.
- Ruined old village
- Spring and small waterfall
- Palm-filled gorge
- Views over the Chott el Djerid
Weather and season
- SEASON
- Oct-Apr
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16.1 C | 6.2 C | 5 mm |
| February | 17.6 C | 6.8 C | 10 mm |
| March | 21.7 C | 10.4 C | 18 mm |
| April | 27.2 C | 15.1 C | 12 mm |
| May | 31.5 C | 19.2 C | 7 mm |
| June | 36.4 C | 23.8 C | 1 mm |
| July | 39.3 C | 26.6 C | 0 mm |
| August | 38.3 C | 26.1 C | 3 mm |
| September | 34.3 C | 23.3 C | 8 mm |
| October | 28.4 C | 17.8 C | 12 mm |
| November | 21.4 C | 11.5 C | 8 mm |
| December | 16.9 C | 7.2 C | 6 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 at the car park.
- Guide
- not needed
- Hazards
- Loose rock on the ruins; heat in summer.
- 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.