Habib M'henni / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Tunisia

Sahel & Kairouan

Region

The Sahel is the coastal plain in eastern Tunisia, home to Sousse, Monastir, and Mahdia, a good two hours by train south of Tunis.

by Felix Gillen

The Sahel is the coastal plain in eastern Tunisia, home to Sousse, Monastir, and Mahdia, a good two hours by train south of Tunis. Inland lie two of the country's most famous World Heritage Sites: the Medina of Kairouan with its Great Mosque and the Roman Amphitheatre of El Djem. Behind the beaches, olive groves stretch over flat hills.

The Coastal CitiesThe name Sahel comes from the Arabic word for coast. The region comprises the governorates of Sousse, Monastir, and Mahdia, approximately 140 kilometers long and 20 to 60 kilometers wide.Sousse: largest city in the region, Medina a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988, Port El Kantaoui marina to the northMonastir: Ribat dating from 796, Mausoleum of state founder Habib Bourguiba, international airportMahdia: Fatimid city from 916 on a peninsula, fishing port and sandy beachesKairouan and El DjemKairouan was founded around 670 and is located inland, west of Sousse. Its Medina, featuring the Great Mosque and the 9th-century Aghlabid Basins, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988.El Djem is situated on the railway line south of Sousse. Its 3rd-century Amphitheater has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979, and in summer, it hosts concerts for the Festival of Symphonic Music.Getting Around the RegionAirports: Monastir Habib Bourguiba (MIR) and Enfidha-Hammamet (NBE)Metro du Sahel: electric suburban train from Sousse via Monastir Airport to Mahdia, running approximately every 40 minutesTrain: SNCFT main line Tunis, Sousse, El Djem, SfaxKairouan: no rail connection, buses and louages from Sousse in about an hour and a half

Gorik Francois / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

Place 1 of 4

Monastir

Monastir, located on the east coast between Sousse and Mahdia, has an international airport offering connections to many Western European countries.

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BishkekRocks 15:01, 29 December 2005 (UTC) / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Place 2 of 4

Sousse

Sousse, with around 240,000 inhabitants (2024 census), is the largest city in the Sahel, on the east coast, a good two-hour train ride south of Tunis.

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Atef Ouni / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Place 3 of 4

Kerkennah Islands

The Kerkennah Islands are located in the Gulf of Gabès off Sfax and are reachable by ferry from Sfax.

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Houssem Abida / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Place 4 of 4

Sfax

Sfax, with approximately 274,000 inhabitants (2024 Census), is Tunisia's second-largest city, located about 270 kilometers southeast of Tunis on the Gulf of Gabès.

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More places in Sahel & Kairouan

Kairouan

Kairouan is located inland, about one and a half bus hours west of Sousse, and was founded around 670 by Uqba ibn Nafi. Its walled Medina, with the Great Mosque, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988. The city, with around 173,000 inhabitants (2024 Census), is also known for carpets and the date pastry Makroudh. Kairouan has no train station; buses and louages stop northwest of the Medina.

Mahdia

Mahdia lies on a narrow peninsula on the east coast and is the southern terminus of the Metro du Sahel from Sousse and Monastir. The Fatimids founded the city as their capital in 916; the fortified gate Skifa el Kahla and the Great Mosque date from that time. North of the old town stretch white sandy beaches with hotels; the port is among Tunisia's largest fishing ports.

El Djem

The Amphitheatre of El Djem is one of the largest in the Roman world, situated in a small town in the Sahel, about an hour by train south of Sousse. It was built in the first half of the 3rd century in ancient Thysdrus and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. With the same ticket, you can visit the Archaeological Museum with its mosaics and a reconstructed Roman villa.

Best Time to Visit

When is the best time for your trip?

May

June

September

October

21–26°C·6–65 mm(little rain)

In May and June, the daily average temperature in Monastir ranges from 21 to 25 °C, with hardly any rain. In September and October, it is still warm at 23 to 26 °C, but these months also see most of the year's precipitation.July and August, with daily highs around 33 °C, are the hottest months and also the peak season at the beaches.

The data comes from the Monastir weather station (climate normals 1991-2020 per NOAA, sunshine hours and humidity from the Institut National de la Météorologie). Sousse, Mahdia, and El Djem share the same coastal climate, while Kairouan inland is hotter in summer.

Seasons

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

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Aug

Sep

Oct

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Dec

Summer and swim season

Springtime and Autumn

Winter

Best Time to Visit

▶Show detailed monthly data

Month	Temp (°C)	Rain (mm)	Sun (h)
January	12.8	37	5.8
February	13.1	30	6.7
March	15.3	34	7.1
April	17.7	22	8.0
May	21.2	20	9.4
June	25.0	6	10.5
July	27.9	3	11.3
August	28.6	15	10.4
September	25.9	65	8.1
October	22.6	55	7.1
November	17.8	38	6.5
December	14.0	41	5.5

Round trips through this region

Classic Tour: Tunis, Kairouan and the Sahel

Twelve days through the north and the Sahel: from the medina of Tunis via the ruins of Carthage and Dougga to Kairouan, on to the amphitheatre of El Djem and down to the coast at Sousse, Monastir and Hammamet. The medina of Tunis, Carthage, Dougga, Kairouan, El Djem and the medina of Sousse are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

12 Days

9 stops

Nearby

Sousse

Sousse, with around 240,000 inhabitants (2024 census), is the largest city in the Sahel, on the east coast, a good two-hour train ride south of Tunis. Its walled Medina, with its Ribat and Great Mosque, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988; the Archaeological Museum in the Kasbah displays mosaics from Roman villas. To its north are the hotel zone and Port El Kantaoui marina. Medina, museum, and port are reachable by foot; the Metro du Sahel runs from Bab Jedid to Monastir and Mahdia.

Monastir

Monastir, located on the east coast between Sousse and Mahdia, has an international airport offering connections to many Western European countries. The city is the birthplace of Tunisia's first president, Habib Bourguiba; his golden-domed mausoleum and the Ribat, dating from 796, define its cityscape. The Medina, Ribat, and Marina are close together and easily reachable on foot, while Sousse is about 20 minutes away by louage.