Bizerte

Bizerte is the northernmost city in Africa (64km from Tunis) and the fourth largest in Tunisia. A port city located in the Northern Tell region at Cap Blanc on the Mediterranean coast, it is the country's green belt.

The coast between Bizerte and the Algerian border features steep cliffs, small bays and many secluded beaches. Two thousand years ago this region was the "bread basket" of Rome and many examples of ancient Roman towns can been seen in ruins at Dougga, Bulla, Regia, Chemtou and Utica. Between the 16th-18th centuries, the Italian, Spanish and French Republics were drawn to the region by the rich harvests of coral from the off-shore reefs.

Bizerte was the site of the ancient city of Hyppo-Diarrhytus. The mosques, souks and Moorish houses in the old quarter of the city are well preserved. The narrow winding streets to the old port (pictured), where there are cafes and small docks for fishing boats, offer a striking contrast to the wide avenues and gardens in the modern part of town.

Bizerte and the Coral Coast do not receive as many visitors as other parts of Tunisia, but the combination of sea and mountains are fast in making it a sought-after holiday destination. The countryside abounds with little villages where local Berber crafts including an original kind of pottery, sejnane (pictured), can be bought for a reasonable price.