Tunisia hides treasures. And they’re not always the treasures you’d expect. If you’ve seen everything in wonderful Tunis, Sousse, and Djerba, if you’ve already savored the magic of the desert, treat yourself to a unique discovery: that of a huge lake that … is not there! It is the great Chott el Djerid lake, which opens up in the heart of the country and is actually a salt lake, almost always dry, with the surface covered in beautiful colored salt crystals. It fills with water only periodically, when heavy rains pour streams and rivers into its basin for brief periods, offering diverse and fascinating views. Admiring it, at least once in your life, is a very good idea.
How do you get to Chott el Djerid ?
The lake is served by a small regional airport, Tozeur-Nefta (which can be reached with domestic flights departing from Tunis Airport – TUN), but it can also be reached in a few hours by car if you land directly at Djerba International Airport (DJE). With private transportation operated by experienced companies such as Transfeero, you can get from Djerba to Kebili – the inhabited oasis overlooking Chott el Djerid – in about three hours. You can also get to the region’s other tourist center, Douz. From Douz, a causeway cuts across the lake, reaching the opposite shore, where the local airport is located.
Chott el Djerid: the “lake that isn’t there”
Lake Chott el Djerid is slightly elevated, located about 25 meters above sea level, in central Tunisia, bordering the desert. The size is 20 kilometers wide and 250 kilometers long, a vast salty basin influenced by the climate of the nearby Sahara.
The environment is seemingly inhospitable, as temperatures can reach and exceed 50 degrees Celsius, especially in summer when the heat causes the water to evaporate and the lake… disappears. In the dead of winter, between January and February, heavy rains from the hinterland feed the streams that flow into the lake, completely transforming its appearance. Its shape changes depending on the amount of water it receives and the irrigation used for by the region’s farmers.
When full of water, it has the charm of a large African lake; when dry, Chott el Djerid still attracts tourists’ attention. Indeed, the salt crystals exposed to the sun take on different colors, ranging from red, to pink, to yellow, and pure white. Their arrangement on the lakebed forms breathtaking patterns! Although Chott el Djerid offers its most beautiful spectacle in spring, when pink flamingos come to nest on the shores, in autumn is still worth a visit.
The lake’s region
Around Lake Chott el Djerid there are towns that are effectively urbanized oases. Nestled in the heart of palm groves surrounded by the desert, the towns of Kebili, Douz, and Tozeur know how to entertain adventurous guests who venture here to admire this natural jewel.
Tozeur, with its 44,000 inhabitants, is the largest city and of course considered the “capital of the lake.” It welcomes you with an avenue dominated by a winged horse and shows you monuments such as the Habib Bourgiba Tower, the mosaics of the Old Medina, and the palaces of Palestine Square. The inlaid doors of the houses in the historic core are a true work of art!
Kebili is the “gateway to the desert,” even though it also overlooks the lake. Many tours to the Sahara depart from here, and sand is everywhere in the streets of the center. The Kasbah markets, the mosques, and the fortified village of Ksar Haddada are the steps on a tour of this palm-fringed city. If Kebili is the gateway to the desert, Douz is already within the first sandbars of the Sahara. The Sahara Museum tells the story of this oasis, closely linked to the fate of the great desert. From Douz, you can also explore the nomadic ways, unless you prefer to stay in town and visit the tented market, the mosque, and the ranches where you can ride camels.
A short distance from the lake, a few kilometers south of Douz, lies Jebil National Park, home to red dunes, Bedouin tents, and fabulous animals to admire.
