OASIS OF TOZEUR

A must-see! This is an oasis, not a palm grove. The latter is a monoculture of palm trees, whereas in oases the crops are varied. This is a three-tiered cultivation system: ground-based agriculture, a second tier of fruit trees and, finally, palm trees. The immense Tozeur oasis boasts over 350,000 palm trees, irrigated by seguias, a network of canals fed by two hundred springs. This irrigation system, perfected in the ^13th century by the engineer Ibn Shabbat, calculates water requirements according to the trees and their altitude. The place is enchanting, but given its size, a visit on foot can be tiring. Instead, you can opt for a bicycle or horse-drawn carriage. You enter the oasis via a small road perpendicular to Rue Abou-El-Kassel or Rue Ech-Chabbi. Your first stop is at the Eden Palm, where you can learn all about the prodigal date palm, its history and ecosystem. Continuing the walk, you pass a hamlet before arriving at the Paradise Gardens. You can contemplate the oasis as a whole by following a track through the palm grove to the Belvedere, a rocky outcrop to the west of the town. After climbing a few steps carved into the rock, you'll have access to a more global panorama of Tozeur: the yellow sand of the town, the white of the chott, the green of the palm grove... You'll be able to look all the way to the Sahara. The lucky ones can even sleep in the heart of the oasis!