Douz, the gateway to the Sahara

Since ancient times, Douz has been an important stopover for caravans on their journeys between the Sahara and northern Tunisia. Its inhabitants are mainly Mrazig, Arab immigrants from the Banu Sulaym tribe who arrived in Tunisia in the 12th century. This is the starting point for camel treks in the Sahara, as far as the dunes of the Grand Erg Oriental. Situated on the edge of the Grand Erg, this small town of 27,000 inhabitants, 488 kilometres south of Tunis, has always attracted camel-driving nomads from the region, and even from all over the world during its International Sahara Festival, which brings desert traditions back to life! Douz has been home to a Sahara museum since 1997.

If the semi-arid desert of Tozeur can be disappointing for those who have in mind the superb images of dunes in films, in Douz you will be well served: here is the Sahara, the real one! From the town's gates, you can set off on a camel trek across the high dunes of the Grand Erg Oriental, some of which can reach 250 metres in height! One of the most popular excursions takes you to the superb fine white sand dunes of Nefzaoua.

Founded in 1910, the Douz Festival, also known as the International Sahara Festival, takes place every year at the end of December. It's an opportunity to discover the "gateway to the great Sahara", where nomadic tribes from Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait gather, along with a French team of camel jockeys. For four days, there will be a succession of folkloric events - a veritable desert Olympics! The climax is the world's biggest dromedary marathon - 42 kilometres, just like a normal marathon... This not-to-be-missed event revives the traditions of the desert and highlights the traditional heritage of the Mrazig, the semi-nomadic Arab-Berber people living to the east of the Chott el-Jerid. The programme includes sloughi (desert greyhound) races, wedding ceremonies, camel fights, poetry readings, games, a date fair, parades, songs and fantasias! More information on the Douz Festival website

Situated between Douz and Tataouine, Ksar Ghilane is one of the best-known oases in the southern Tunisian desert. You can bathe in a hot spring with therapeutic thermal properties. The camps are the starting point for numerous excursions into the desert by camel, 4x4, motorbike or quad. The ruins of the Roman fort at Tisavar remind us that we are on the edge of the Roman Empire. A kilometre to the east is a stele, the column of General Leclerc, which bears witness to the passage of his army in 1943 during the battle of Ksar Ghilane. This is a site that the Tunisian government is considering submitting as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.