Chebika: the mountain oasis, its waterfall and its old village
At the foot of the djebel, a spring gushes from the rock, tumbles down as a waterfall and brings a palm grove to life, squeezed into a gorge of red stone. Chebika is the first of the Jerid's three mountain oases, and the most photogenic.
- From Djerba
- ≈ 400 km
- Driving time
- ≈ 6 h (1 h from Tozeur)
- Suggested time
- 1 h 30 on site
- Best season
- October → April
About fifty kilometres north-west of Tozeur, the road leaves the flat expanse of the chott and runs up against the mountain. There, in a fault of the Djebel el Negueb, water wells up: this is Chebika, the first of the Jerid's three mountain oases, along with Tamerza and Mides. The Romans had a lookout post here, Ad Speculum, "the mirror", which sent signals out to the plain.
What to see
- The spring and the waterfall: at the bottom of the gorge, water comes out of the rock and falls into a small pool lined with palm trees, before irrigating the terraced gardens.
- The old village: abandoned after the floods of 1969, it overlooks the palm grove with its stone and earth walls; the walk there offers the best viewpoints.
- The panoramic trail: a 30-minute loop that climbs to the viewpoint, goes back down to the spring and returns through the palm grove. A view of the chott plain on the horizon.
- The cinema: Chebika and Tamerza served as the setting for The English Patient (1996), notably for the oasis scenes.
On our tours
Chebika is the first stop of the "mountain oasis" morning on our 2-day Tozeur and 3-day Djerba → Tozeur tours: early-morning departure from Tozeur, Chebika, then Tamerza and Mides, back to Tozeur for lunch or straight on to Djerba.
Practical information
- From Tozeur: 55 km, about 1 hour's drive.
- On site: a small café, craft and desert rose shops at the car park; a waymarked trail.
- Best season: October to April; in spring the palm grove is at its greenest.
