EL HAOUARIA (الهوارية)

After 3 hours drive from Sidi Bou Said we have arrived at the tip of the Cap Bon Peninsula. A few kilometers behind the El Haouaria town is located its main attraction, the Roman quarry caves (entrance 10 TND). They are dramatically set at the ocean´s edge. The caves were first quarried by the Carthaginians around 600 BC. The soft orange limestone was highly prized for carved decoration in Roman and Byzantine buildings in Carthage and also for the Roman amphitheater at El Djem. The largest cave is Ghar el Kebir, where a camel has been carved out of the rock at the entrance. We caught the great late afternoon sunlight, and after some walking around we ended up at the terrace of the La Daurad Restaurant (catch of the day on the grill for two 95 TND, beef steak 30 TND, Celtia beer 6 TND) with great views at the mountainous island of Zembra and its tiny off-shoot, Zembretta.

Parking location – El Haouaria: 37.058815N 10.995312E (💦, 🚻)