Between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara desert is where we found the perfect spot for our hotels. The Tunisian island of Djerba is both welcoming and exotic – the perfect place to offer travellers a thousand delights: a sunset overlooking the sea, a desert tour, a relaxing spa session in an authentic Arabic hammam, or the culinary delights of an age-old culture. Our two hotels in Djerba, Vincci Hèlios Beach and Vincci Djerba Resort, let us offer our clients a relaxing oasis where they can indulge their senses.
The African country of Tunisia, the smallest in the Maghreb, is used to receiving around six million tourists a year. The almost obligatory tour, for those who don’t want to miss the contrasts of this beautiful country, starts in the capital Tunis, where the scents, colours and flavours of its medina submerge you in an exotic whirlwind. From there, if you like riding in a 4×4 with a sea of sand at the end of the journey, the route heads out to the desert. A stop to explore the Roman ruins of Dougga, then to Tamerza and its waterfall and the palm groves of Tozeur.
Having arrived in the town of Douz, the doors to the desert are wide open. Passing dunes and rocks, you’ll explore towns like Matmata, with its troglodyte homes, dug into the mountainside, where scenes from Star Wars were shot. You’ll take in Tatouine, Sfax and El Djem, with the largest Roman theatre in Africa, before the 4×4 takes you to Kairouan, the oldest city in Tunisia and the fourth Holy City, after Mecca, Jerusalem and Fes. From there the road leads you to one of the country’s most popular tourist areas: Hamammet, the Saint-Tropez of Tunisia. And, once again in the capital, there are two more unforgettable recommendations: Carthage, where you’ll find the ruins of what was one of the most powerful cities of the ancient world, founded by the Phoenicians; and Sidi Bou Said, a charming village of white streets, dotted with doors, grills and blue windows, whose images remain etched on your retina. Like the beautiful white birdcages that cover the walls of the picturesque houses. Or the mint tea with pine nuts that you can savour while lounging on a rug in ‘Café des Nattes’, in an idyllic town where watching the sun go down as you look out over the sea is a show all to itself.
As you can see, the wonders of Tunisia speaks for themselves, but the experience is truly complete if you can finish the day in the sort of cosy, welcoming surroundings you’ll find in our hotels, with their typical Tunisian architecture, their location right by the sea, surrounded by greenery.
A place to savour the memories of the day and rest feet weary from walking in narrow streets in the tracks of the many cultures that have left their footprint on this land: Roman, Byzantium, Islamic. A bath in our Arabic hammam, a mint tea and some typical sweets on the terrace over the sea, or simply reading on a hammock, the joy of being immersed for a few minutes more in the unforgettable island of Djerba.