Travel Guides: All Countries / Africa / Tunisia / Hammamet
 |  | Destination Guide : Hammamet |
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| | | Best of Tunisian sunshine |  | by Rachael Jolley
Intro text
Hammamet is a busy, popular beach resort on the North African coast in the up and coming destination of Tunisia. It is packed with plenty of shops and restaurants and has lovely, long golden beaches. Expect huge, well-equipped hotel complexes with all the facilities you might imagine from a Spanish or Greek destination, lots of swimming pools, and a welcoming attitude. It mixes history - it was visited by the Romans and other ancient civilisations - with plenty of modernity.
Once a resort for the rich and famous, Hammamet has now expanded to offer an affordable range of hotels for British tourists.
Getting there/around Hammamet
Fly from airports around Britain on charter flights to Monastir or take a scheduled flight to Tunis, about 70km away. Probably the best way to get to Hammamet from the airports is by taxi, but make sure you get the driver to put the meter on or agree a price in advance.
Once in Hammamet, it is pleasant to walk along the long beaches, or in town, but for longer journeys take a taxi. Hiring a car is another option and this can usually be arranged in your hotel.
Hammamet beaches
Hammamet has plenty of long, sandy beaches that are kept nice and clean, so there's plenty of space to spread and place your umbrella. For those who just want to relax and look at the sparkling blue sea in the Gulf of Hammamet then just lie back, for the more active there are plenty of sports such as windsurfing on offer. Don't forget the sunscreen and that it is wise to stay out of the direct sun around midday in the summer.
Hammamet sightseeing
You will probably want to visit the ancient medina, the walled old city and shopping district. Ignore the hangers on who offer to be your guide when you arrive at the medina. If you do want a guide, ask your hotel and arrange one in advance. Otherwise just wander around, browsing past the stalls, dropping in to a café for a sip of rich, dark coffee and watching the old men play backgammon.
Hammamet Eating
You can find a mixture of international food and traditional Tunisian dishes at the restaurants around Hammamet. Tunisian specialities include tagine, a slow-cooked meat stew with a rich gravy and couscous, a pile of a grainy semolina, nicer than it sounds, served with a veggie or meat sauces.
Lots of the hotel complexes have a choice of restaurants. Yasmine Hammamet is a good area where you can wander around cafes before choosing one. You can even find cafes serving BBQs on the beach. Waiters often speak English.
Hammamet after dark
Hammamet has plenty of nightlife, with clubs and bars opening until 2am, so if you are in a party mood there's plenty of choice, from Latin music to Arabic to disco, the choice is yours.
Alternatively chill out with a glass of mint tea in an open-air café close to the Medina.
Hammamet Shopping
Leather goods and jewellery are good finds. Expect to haggle for anything, and see it is as part of the fun. Try to find a stall in the Medina selling herbs and spices and pick up some good strong spices. It's also worth looking out for lovely carved wooden bowls and excellent bottles of olive oil, much cheaper than at home. At Cap Bon, the souks (old markets) have lots of vibrant pottery and tiles.
Hammamet Family fun
The children will enjoy a trip to Yasmine Hammamet, the new resort just out of town, which has lots of new restaurants, a marina with loads of boats bobbing away, and a walled market.
There's an ice skating rink and an amusement park. Teach the kids to haggle in the markets - they'll be impressed if you manage to knock a few pounds off your bargains.
Hammamet Day trips
For a day out choose between the vibrant capital city of Tunis, or the ancient Roman city of Dougga, where you can visit the temple of Minerva. Dougga is about two hours drive away. You can take a taxi - hiring one with a driver is not usually very expensive. Agree a rate in advance - you can check in your hotel for guidance on how much you should pay. If you want to drive yourself, you could hire a car for the day. Also in easy reach are the Commonwealth War Cemeteries at Medjez El Bab, where the graves of soldiers who died in the North Africa campaign of 1943 are buried.
If you like Hammamet, take a look at the following travel guides:
Turkey
Greece
Spain
Canary Islands
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