Bizerte

Bizerte is the northernmost city on the African continent, built around a natural channel connecting a large inland lake to the sea, which is why it has been fought over repeatedly. The old fishing port is the picturesque part, a rectangular basin lined with painted boats and enclosed by two fortifications: the Kasbah, a walled quarter on one side, and the smaller Sidi el Hani fort opposite. Ichkeul National Park lies inland behind the lake.

What you actually see

• The old port - a rectangular fishing basin lined with painted boats.
• The Kasbah - a walled residential quarter beside the harbour mouth.
• The Spanish fort - the sixteenth-century fortification above the town.
• The lake channel - the cut linking the inland lake to the Mediterranean.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the most comfortable. Summer fills the beaches north of the city. Winter on this coast is wet and windy.

Honest expectations

The modern city is industrial and the naval port dominates. The old harbour is small and quickly seen. Beaches near the city are variable in quality.

Nearby

Cap Angela is north, and Ichkeul is southwest.