Travel Guide Kelibia

The most important city of the east coast, Kelibia (11 km from Menzel Temime), offers both landscapes of moors and rushes, wild creeks, a superb coastline and a warm atmosphere of a fishing village, which can remind Portugal. Kelibia, the white one, is animated, teeming, or peaceful and secret, often industrial and rustic, and always deeply maritime. It was founded by the tyrant of Syracuse, Agathocles, who founded the city of Aspis during his landing in Africa. The Punic city was taken in 256 by Regulus, then destroyed by Scipio the African. The city keeps few traces of its ancient past since it was completely razed after the third Punic war. Only a Punic necropolis remains, a little away from the city, in El Mansourah, and some remains of Roman houses, next to the technical school of fishing. This school, with a national recruitment, confirms Kelibia in its harbour vocation. From 1535 to 1547, it was sacked three times by the Spaniards. From these attacks, only a few rare monuments remain today that testify to the richness of the city's past. The best preserved being the fortress. Kelibia, Clupea at the time of the Phoenicians, is especially known for its Byzantine fortress, built in the 6th century. Located on top of a 78-meter cliff, it ensured the defense of the port and, more generally, of the Strait of Sicily. Destroyed by the Spaniards in the 16th century, it was rebuilt at the same time. Today it is well preserved and attracts visitors mainly for the superb view it offers from the top of its walls. In the whole of Cap Bon, it is first of all nature that makes the show. The port of Kelibia occupies a strategic position and is a connecting point between Africa and Europe, it is located 70 km from Pantelleria (Italy), 140 km from Sicily and 260 km from Sardinia and Malta. The fishing port is the fourth in Tunisia, it is specialized in the fishing of lamparo (fishing with the lamp). With the light of the lighthouses attached to the boats, the fishermen attract schools of blue fish (sardines, anchovies, mackerel, etc.). Finally, Kelibia is famous for its good dry muscatel wine appreciated by connoisseurs. On leaving the city, you can make a detour to Tamezrate, a village overlooking the area: beautiful panorama, almost 360 degrees, on the whole cape and the sea.