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    Chott el Djerid
    Francesco Piraneo G. / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

    Tunisia

    Chott el Djerid

    Point of Interest

    The Chott el Djerid is a vast salt lake between Tozeur and Kebili in southwestern Tunisia, the largest salt flat in the Maghreb. You experience it on the causeway road from Tozeur to Douz, which runs across the white salt crust.

    by Felix Gillen

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    9. Chott el Djerid
    The Chott el Djerid is a vast salt lake between Tozeur and Kebili in southwestern Tunisia, the largest salt flat in the Maghreb. You experience it on the causeway road from Tozeur to Douz, which runs across the white salt crust.Depending on the source and the water level, the lake covers 5,000 to over 7,000 square kilometres. It lies on the edge of areas covered by official travel warnings: check the current travel advice, such as the UK FCDO Travel Advice, before you go.

    Restaurants in Chott el Djerid

    Nature and Film

    Salt, Water and ColorsThe surface is a plantless clay crust with salt crystals, approximately 15 to 20 meters above sea level. In winter, a thin layer of water stands in places; in summer, the lake almost completely dries out, leaving behind a salt film.Colors: Parts of the lake temporarily appear white, green, or violetFata Morgana: In summer, when the lake is almost dry, mirages frequently occurFilm SetAt Chott el Djerid, the set of the Lars family's homestead from Star Wars was located. The lake also later served as a filming location for the film series.

    Access

    The Causeway RoadRoute: The road between Tozeur and Kebili crosses the lake on a causeway; the drive from Tozeur to Douz takes about 2 hoursTravel and Safety AdviceCheck the current official travel advice before you go, for example the UK FCDO Travel Advice for Tunisia. The German Federal Foreign Office advises against travel south of the line from the Algerian border via Tozeur/Nefta to Douz, and against individual, unorganised desert tours.

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    Nearby

    Oases & Sahara

    Oases & Sahara

    In southwestern Tunisia, steppe and mountains give way to the Sahara: palm oases such as Tozeur and Nefta, the Chott el Djerid salt lake and the dunes of the Grand Erg Oriental near Douz define the region. You travel here for brick-built old towns, date palms, the salt lake and the first sand dunes of the Sahara.The region borders Algeria and areas covered by official travel warnings. Check the current travel advice, such as the UK FCDO Travel Advice for Tunisia, before making any plans.
    Tozeur

    Tozeur

    Tozeur is the main town of the Djerid in southwestern Tunisia, about 450 kilometres southwest of Tunis on the northern edge of the Chott el Djerid salt lake. You come for the Ouled el Hadef old town with its patterned brickwork and for the palm grove with around 400,000 date palms.The town has just under 40,000 inhabitants and is easy to explore on foot, by bicycle or by horse-drawn carriage. Tozeur lies on the edge of areas covered by official travel warnings: check the current travel advice, such as the UK FCDO Travel Advice, before you go.
    Douz

    Douz

    Douz is known as the gateway to the Sahara: the oasis town in Kebili governorate lies about two hours' drive southeast of Tozeur on the edge of the Grand Erg Oriental. You come for the first big sand dunes, organised camel rides and the Festival international du Sahara in December.The town has around 30,000 inhabitants, most of them from the Mrazig tribe. Douz lies on the edge of areas covered by official travel warnings, and independent desert trips are advised against: check the current travel advice, such as the UK FCDO Travel Advice, before you go.
    Nefta

    Nefta

    Nefta is the second major oasis of the Djerid, about 25 kilometres west of Tozeur between the Chott el Djerid and the first sand dunes. The town is known for the Corbeille, a palm-filled rocky basin, and as the centre of Sufism in Tunisia.Nefta has just over 20,000 inhabitants and an old town of patterned mud brick. It lies close to the Algerian border on the edge of areas covered by official travel warnings: check the current travel advice, such as the UK FCDO Travel Advice, before you go.
    Mountain Oases Chebika, Tamerza & Midès

    Mountain Oases Chebika, Tamerza & Midès

    Chebika, Tamerza and Midès are three mountain oases about 50 to 75 kilometres northwest of Tozeur on the Algerian border. Springs feed waterfalls and palm gardens between bare rock walls, above them stand the ruins of mud-brick villages abandoned in 1969.The oases lie in the border area with Algeria, Midès directly on the border, an area official travel advice warns against: check the current travel advice, such as the UK FCDO Travel Advice, before making any plans.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons. Each photo carries its credit.
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI