Visit Gabes - Come to Tunisia

Be allured by the coastal town of Gabes, the gateway to the Sahara, and its vast maritime oases. And just 25 miles south from beautiful beaches, you’ll find the troglodyte village of Matmata, with its lunar landscapes and houses dug into the rock to escape the intense daytime heat and protect from unwanted visitors.

Stretching south from Sfax, the sandy marshes at the Gulf of Gabès provide an ideal winter home for half of all birds, such as herons, gulls, and flamingos migrating to the Mediterranean to escape the harsher winters of the European north. For holiday-makers who fly in, the town of Gabès itself has a number of inspirational attractions including the 12th century Sidi Driss Mosque, but this is perhaps most famous as the centre of henna production.

Travel 40 km (25 miles) south of Gabès, and you’ll reach the Berber village of Matmata, the biggest and best known of the troglodyte villages. To escape the intense daytime heat and allow the rooms to maintain an even temperature, the remarkable underground houses have all been dug out of the rock. Although many are still occupied, with the biggest cave complexes even becoming hotels, these remarkable dwellings made Matmata one of the key locations for the Star Wars films.