The most beautiful parks and gardens Sahara

A must-see! You are here in an oasis and not a palm grove. The latter is a monoculture of palm trees, while in the oases the cultures are varied. Here it is the culture with three stages: agriculture on the ground, a second stage of fruit trees and finally the palm trees. Huge, the oasis of Tozeur has more than 250 000 palm trees, irrigated by seguias, a network of canals fed by two hundred sources. This irrigation system developed in the 13th century by the engineer Ibn Shabbat allows to calculate the water needs according to the trees and their altitude. The place is enchanting, but given its size, the visit on foot may seem tiring. One can opt for a bicycle or a carriage ride. We enter the oasis by a small road perpendicular to the street Abou-El-Kassel or to the street Ech-Chabbi. We mark a first stop at the necessary Eden Palm which allows to understand everything about the date palm, prodigal tree, its history and its ecosystem. Continuing the walk, we pass a hamlet before arriving at the gardens of Paradise. You will be able to contemplate the whole oasis by following a track that crosses the palm grove and leads you to the Belvedere, a rocky complex west of the city. After climbing a few steps carved in the rock, you will have access to a more global panorama of Tozeur: the yellow sand of the city, the white of the chott, the green of the palm grove... You will be able to see the Sahara. The luckiest ones will even sleep in the heart of the oasis!

A walk in this oasis allows you to discover the gardens hidden in the shade of the palm trees. Traditionally maintained for centuries by the various families who own the gardens, they provide fruit, vegetables and cereals. Like its big sister Tozeur, we practice here the three-storey crops (agriculture, fruit trees, palm trees). The oasis is also home to many birds. By car, coming from the city of Nefta, in the direction of Algeria, about 1 km away, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the oasis.

The desert Zoo hosts all kinds of desert animals: scorpions, snakes, fennecs, gazelles, kebab, lions and the outstanding camel drinker of Coca-Cola! You can reach it by turning left on the road of the tourist area, in the direction of the restaurant Le Petit Prince. The guided tour begins with the tropical garden, where one walks among apricot, palm trees, banana trees, bougainvilleas and jasmines, continues through the animal park and ends with the inevitable souvenir shop.

Bypassing the Roman site and skirting the fortress, one reaches, by a little frequented entrance, the quiet palm grove with narrow roads. Extending in a rectangle of about 4 km by 3 km, it surprises by its high density and the height of its palm trees. One finds there a multitude of trees or fruit plants and sometimes even an inhabited house. In some places, the forest which clears up lets appear splendid landscapes with the red ochre of the mountains in background of this green ocean, under a deep blue sky.

This elevated garden, rich in opulent tree species, was created by King Farouk in honour of his daughter Féryal. Rendezvous for families and lovers. A pleasant break after visiting the Nubian Museum which is only a few meters away. The view is the same as that of the Old Cataract, which a small wall separates from the garden. There are paths running through it, and the vegetation is very rich. The locals walk there with friends and family.

Across the road, you'll find the Fatimid cemetery. Charming place overlooking the Nile and Elephantine Island.

Doctor Ahmed's garden is an institution in Sainte-Catherine, where the work and cultivation of the doctor, a specialist in medicinal herbs, are recognized. He has set up a school on his estate, where he teaches local Bedouin children to perpetuate the knowledge he has accumulated. Visits to the garden and accommodation can be arranged through most Sainte-Catherine operators. You can also call him to order products (everyone knows him locally).

A palm grove in the middle of the Tekemkent oasis, which has a botanical garden with fruit trees: pomegranate trees, grapefruit trees, mango trees, banana trees, lemon trees. The vegetable garden is filled with aromatic plants: basil, lemon grass, mint... An oasis that wears its name divinely well! You will even have the possibility of bathing in a large basin in the shade of the date palms... A basin which is also used to water all the plants of the garden. This palm grove also has tents and toilets for accommodation.

Created in 1996, they produced their first harvest in 1999. Their goal is to diversify the food supply of the inhabitants of Oualata, to provide a complementary source of income to the 60 families who operate them and to fix the population in the region thanks to 2 reservoirs which, in the hot season, work with solar panels. If you have the chance to meet one of the 2 engineers who work there, visit them with him, you will be amazed. The water is first pumped from a non-permanent water table, raised and then stored in a reservoir, the pressure exerted making it naturally flow back down to the gardens.

Then, the irrigation system set up allows to save water by allocating to each plant the flow that is necessary for it. This technique has made it possible to introduce species that would have been incompatible with the climate of the region. We discover date palms, jujube trees, baobabs, lemon trees, mandarin trees, mango trees and even vines! Vegetables are not forgotten with tomatoes, beans and onions consumed fresh on the spot or dried. So much so that the market garden production is today superior to the consumption of the inhabitants! Fruits and vegetables are exported to Néma. The gardens also produce compost from camel dung, medicinal plants and natural insecticides. This vegetation attracts a lot of game, including a few hares, which are an important food supplement for those who trap them.