The Chott el Jerid: crossing the great salt lake of the Tunisian Sahara
More than 5,000 km² of salt as far as the eye can see, a straight road laid across it, mirages dancing at noon and pink reflections at sunset: the Chott el Jerid is one of the strangest landscapes in Tunisia.
- From Djerba
- ≈ 300 km
- Driving time
- ≈ 4 h
- Suggested time
- 1 h stop on the way
- Best season
- October → April
Between Kebili and Tozeur, the road runs straight along a causeway for dozens of kilometres, through a white desert that is neither sand nor earth: this is the salt of the Chott el Jerid, the largest salt lake in North Africa. In hot weather, the horizon doubles, imaginary lakes appear and then vanish — the famous mirages that fed every legend of lost caravans.
What you can see
- The salt crust: white, cracked, sometimes pinkish or greenish depending on the algae and minerals; beside the road, pools of improbable colours.
- The mirages: in the middle of the day, the superheated air creates reflections of water and floating islands. Early in the morning and at sunset, the low light sets the salt ablaze.
- The desert roses: these petal-shaped gypsum crystals are extracted in the region and sold at little stalls along the crossing.
- A film set: it was on the shores of the chott, near Nefta, that George Lucas built Luke Skywalker's farm in 1976, and that the famous scene of the two setting suns was filmed.
A little geography
The chott occupies a depression lying roughly at sea level; the wadis that flow into it evaporate there, leaving their salt behind. It was long believed to be connected to the Mediterranean: in the 19th century, a canal project even aimed to turn it into an inland sea. The palm groves of Tozeur, Nefta and Kebili grow on its shores, where fresh spring water comes to the surface.
The chott on our tours
All our tours to Tozeur cross it, with a photo stop in the middle of the lake: the 2-day tour to Tozeur, the 3-day tour via Douz and the Star Wars tour. With a private tour, we can shift the crossing to sunrise or sunset, the two moments when the chott is at its most photogenic.
Practical information
- From Djerba: about 300 km to the start of the crossing (4 h).
- Best season: October to April. In summer, the glare is intense: sunglasses are essential.
- Caution: do not stray from the edges of the road; the salt can give way over mud.
