This coastal Mediterranean town, known for ceramics and orange groves, has been a pottery center since Roman times. Local artisans still craft traditional ceramics in open-air workshops.
Nabeul sits along Tunisia’s Cape Bon peninsula, where the Mediterranean meets workshops shaping clay into pottery and streets filled with the scent of orange blossoms. Walk past stalls selling leather slippers dyed with natural pigments, examine Roman mosaic floors at the Neapolis ruins, or touch the rough texture of hand-painted ceramic tiles drying in the sun. Each Friday, vendors spread out baskets of saffron and dried mint in the market, next to stacks of woven palm leaf baskets. Groves of lemon and bitter orange trees line the roads, their flowers distilled into perfumes sold in glass vials at local shops. Blacksmiths hammer copper trays in open-air workshops, continuing methods their families have used for generations.
Walk Through the Medina’s Artisan Streets
Begin in Nabeul’s medina, where narrow lanes curve past open doorways revealing potters spinning clay on wheels. Artisans here sell embroidered cotton towels, hammered brass coffee pots, and glazed bowls painted with zigzag patterns. Look for Souk El Balgha, a section dedicated to leatherworkers stitching babouche slippers without heels, using needles and thread instead of glue. The clanging in Souk Haddada comes from blacksmiths shaping metal into lanterns and door hinges, their forges glowing with charcoal. On Fridays, the market expands beyond the covered alleys, with farmers laying out prickly pears, jars of green olives, and braids of garlic. Though some items cost more than in villages farther inland, the medina lets you watch crafts being made up close.
Learn About Ceramics and Local Clay
The clay dug from hills near Nabeul has been turned into jars, plates, and roof tiles since Phoenician traders settled here. At the Artisanal Village, painters use feather brushes to outline black geometric shapes on wet glaze before firing pieces in wood-burning kilns. Along the highway toward Tunis, workshops display ceramic sinks with fish motifs, mosaic tabletops, and garden pots wider than a person’s arms. In the 1920s, French artists introduced new glazing techniques that blended with Arab designs, resulting in the turquoise and sunflower-yellow tiles seen on many buildings. A massive ceramic urn wrapped around a fig tree near the post office demonstrates how the city celebrates this craft.
Swim and Relax on Sandy Beaches
Nabeul’s beachfront has soft sand and shallow water, with hotels renting umbrellas and lounge chairs to guests. Public access areas near the city center lack shade but let you swim for free, though cleaner sections belong to resorts charging entry fees. For windsurfing or jet ski rentals, drive 20 minutes to Kelibia, where rental shops cluster near the harbor. The thermal springs at Korbous, 40 minutes northwest, fill stone pools with warm, sulfur-scented water that Romans believed healed joint pain. Fishermen in Kelibia take visitors on half-day trips to catch sea bream and octopus, which dockside grills cook immediately after the boat returns.
Discover Ancient Roman Factories and Quarries
The Neapolis archaeological site, a short drive from downtown, holds crumbling stone walls from workshops that once produced fish sauce for Rome’s empire. Low tides expose mosaic floors decorated with dolphins, now cracked and coated in seaweed. Nabeul’s Archaeological Museum displays a 3rd-century statue of Apollo, glass perfume bottles from Carthage, and mosaics of Medusa’s head with snakes for hair. Travelers interested in older history should visit Kerkouane, a Punic town where excavated homes still have bathtubs carved into floors. Near El Haouaria, jagged cliffs reveal square tunnels where Romans cut stone blocks using chisels and hammers, leaving behind caves now inhabited by bats.
Eat Harissa, Seafood, and Citrus Preserves
Restaurants in Nabeul serve dishes like brik—a fried pastry pocket filled with egg and tuna—drizzled with lemon juice from local trees. Order grilled octopus rubbed with harissa, a spicy paste made from sun-dried chilies pounded with garlic and coriander. At the covered market, vendors sell bitter orange flower water in recycled soda bottles and marmalade made from Seville oranges grown in nearby orchards. Along the seaside promenade, cooks prepare couscous with red mullet caught that morning, served in clay tagines still bubbling from the stove. For dessert, try yoyos—fried dough balls dipped in honey—sold at street carts near the medina’s main gate.
Visit Ottoman Forts and Hot Springs
Kelibia’s stone fortress, built by Ottoman commanders in the 1500s, has cannon emplacements facing the sea and a lighthouse added by French colonists. Climb to the rooftop for views of fishing boats dragging nets through turquoise water. El Haouaria’s coastal paths wind past wild capers and fig trees, attracting storks and falcons during April migrations. At Korbous, water heated by underground springs flows into concrete basins where locals soak to ease muscle aches. Inland vineyards around Grombalia grow grapes for pale amber wines served in most Nabeul restaurants, best sampled alongside plates of olives and sheep’s cheese.
Plan Your Visit: Transport and Timing
Fly into Tunis-Carthage Airport, then take a shared taxi or louage van south to Nabeul’s main station. Buses run hourly to Hammamet and Kelibia, but renting a car makes it easier to reach rural sites like Kerkouane. Stay in a beach hotel with a pool, or book a room in a restored medina house with tile floors and a rooftop terrace. April and May bring mild temperatures perfect for walking, while September avoids summer’s humidity and peak tourist crowds. Many shops close between noon and 3 PM, and some museums shut entirely on Fridays—plan indoor activities for midday heat.
