Holidays in Tabarka, the city of coral, fishing and nature. A journey through its history and various opportunities for fun.
Small town bordered by the Mediterranean, Tabarka it is one of the villages in Tunisia that has seen the flow of visitors and curious people grow the most in recent years. About 200 kilometers away from Tunis, it has an international airport, which connects it to numerous European cities. In this guide, we will discover the interesting sites of the city of fishermen and corals.
The Tabarka region has a unique shape. It is nestled in the African continent, almost on the border with Algeria, and has an arched tongue of land that forms a peninsula on the Mediterranean. The first attraction to visit is located right on the small peninsula: the strong Genoese. It was built in the 15th century by a handful of Genoese people who decided to move to this beautiful area and continue their commercial activities.
In fact, Tabarka was a convenient mooring for boats at the time; the Genoese believed they could consolidate their finances through fishing and the trade of corals, present in quantity in this area. The Lamellini, a family linked to Andrea Doria, and other Genoese remained in these areas until the 18th century, and then sought their fortune in other locations on the Italian coast.
Staying on the seafront, moving west, you reach a coastal area where the spiers called "The Needles" of Tabarka stand: they are tall rocky conformations shaped by the sea and smoothed by it in such a skilful and original way that it seems impossible that they are the result solely of nature. They are very tall and take on different colors based on the sunlight. Tangent rays during rush hour illuminate them; those of the sunset make them "blush". A unique show.
The air you breathe in Tabarka in summer is welcoming and festive; but above all, it is musical. In fact, the Jazz Festival, where renowned artists enliven the city and its surroundings for several days, playing in the squares and clubs.
If you want to come into close contact with the crystal clear sea of Tabarka, know that you have several diving areas available along the entire coast, equipped to give you unique snorkeling and diving experiences. A detail for which the city is famous is the so-called Grouper reef, where these large fish swim freely and in groups. Diving enthusiasts cannot miss this underwater excursion.
To relax you can obviously choose the numerous coastal areas of Tabarka. If, however, you want to try a sporting activity in the hinterland without abandoning your gaze on the sea, then try the Tabarka golf course. The 18 holes in the large playing area are dug in strategically panoramic places, some in the dense green area, others around lakes and still some close to the sea.
In the southern area of Tabarka there is the Feija National Park, a huge forest reserve teeming with animals, some even protected species, and dotted with medium-low height peaks. This park extends for approximately 3000 hectares and protects the only species of cervid present in Africa, the Barbaria deer. You can find other animal species such as the red fox or the golden jackal, insects of various kinds, vipers and numerous types of birds.
Furthermore, along the route of the Feija park there are archaeological remains that testify to the presence of man in these territories already in ancient times. It is believed that some areas were inhabited already in the Neolithic era, as evidenced by the rock paintings, for example in the Kef Chizuko quarry.
Tabarka has been a processing center for centuries coral which in the past populated the shallow and deep seabeds of the Tunisian coast. At the time of the arrival of the Genoese, coral was abundant; however, their presence did not help the conservation of this pearl of nature. In fact, part of their commercial activity was based on this precious material and much of the red coral present here was plundered. Now to spot them in quantity you have to reach rather high depths.
