Monastir

Monastir is a city in Tunisia 160 km from Tunis. Set along a superb coastline with a blue sea and long golden sandy beaches, Monastir is a pleasant seaside resort, a historical town full of tradition and one of the best tourist destinations in Northern Africa.

Under the protection of its ribat, one of the most impressive fortresses of Tunisia, Monastir's medina, fishing port, marina and background of villages and orchards make it a lively and welcoming destination.

Understand
Situated halfway between Sousse and Mahdia, and in the intersection of Kairouan and El Jem, Monastir is distinguished by its location in the central coast of Tunisia. It is an ancient city dating from Phoenician times. Due to its strategic location, it shelters the oldest and the most important ribat in the Maghreb: a lovely fortress that is one of Tunisia's finest examples of Islamic military architecture.

Monastir is also known as a really beautiful and calm city.

By plane
Monastir is a three-hour flight from many principal European cities.

Getting to the airport: the trip by taxi costs about 5 DT. Getting to the airport is also possible through train between Monastir and Sousse, since "Skanes-Monastir airport station" is 200 m from airport terminal.

By train
There are regular train services to Tunis and Sousse to the north and Mahdia to the south.



By bus
A louage to Sousse takes about 20 minutes and costs 2.1 DT. It departs just outside of the medina walls next to the train station.

Get around
The distances between the Medina, Ribat and Marina are small enough to be covered on foot. Taxis for longer distances within the city can be found everywhere and are very cheap (less than DT3 for a trip within the city).

See

 * Ribat also houses
 * Ribat also houses

Do

 * Carriage. You can also go around Monastir with the famous and traditional carriages and of course for a good price.
 * Touristic train. It is a cheap and original means to discover the city.
 * Carriage. You can also go around Monastir with the famous and traditional carriages and of course for a good price.
 * Touristic train. It is a cheap and original means to discover the city.

Sleep
The infrastructure of hotels is of a remarkable quality and continues to get even better. Classed hotels (from one to five stars) are beyond reproach for hygiene and facilities. Covered swimming pools, sporting facilities, mini-clubs for children and spa centers are very common.

Go next

 * Sousse
 * Kairouan
 * El Jem