Ksar Hallouf to Beni Kheddache
- Hike
- Distance
- 8.3km
- Duration
- 4HRS
- Ascent
- 276M
Elevation profile
385-597 M / TERRAIN TILES SAMPLED ALONG THE TRACK
Photographs
Photos: Largoplazo (CC BY-SA 3.0), Smailtn (CC0), Noomen9 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Start point
- Car
- About 35 km west of Medenine via Beni Kheddache.
- Louage
- Louage from Medenine to Beni Kheddache, then a taxi (verify locally).
Nearby
The trail
A stage of the Grande Traversee du Dahar from the granary fortress of Ksar Hallouf, over its hidden oasis and jessour terraces, through Zammour to Beni Kheddache.
Ksar el Hallouf stands on a limestone shelf over its valley: about 200 ghorfas, vaulted granary cells, on two storeys around a courtyard, where the families of the Dahar stored their harvests. Opposite lies a two-hectare mountain oasis of palms, pears, pomegranates and apples, and the valley floors are stepped with jessour, the dry-stone terraces that catch the runoff for olives and grain. The route climbs out of the valley to the Berber village of Zammour and on to Beni Kheddache, whose weekly market and ksar close the day. It follows part of the signed 194 km Grande Traversee du Dahar.
- Ksar el Hallouf granaries
- Mountain oasis
- Jessour terraces
- Zammour village
Weather and season
- SEASON
- October to April
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14.5 C | 5.6 C | 9 mm |
| February | 15.8 C | 6.5 C | 16 mm |
| March | 19.8 C | 9.3 C | 20 mm |
| April | 24.6 C | 12.5 C | 16 mm |
| May | 28 C | 15.8 C | 6 mm |
| June | 32.1 C | 19.3 C | 2 mm |
| July | 35.1 C | 21.9 C | 1 mm |
| August | 34.4 C | 22.2 C | 3 mm |
| September | 31.6 C | 20.9 C | 11 mm |
| October | 26.5 C | 16.8 C | 15 mm |
| November | 20.1 C | 11.5 C | 24 mm |
| December | 15.2 C | 7.2 C | 15 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
- At Ksar Hallouf and Beni Kheddache; none between.
- Guide
- recommended
- Hazards
- Heat and no shade; stony ground.
- 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.