El Haouaria

The Ghar el Kebir caves at El Haouaria are not natural: they are quarries, cut into the sandstone from the Punic period onwards to supply building stone for Carthage and later for Roman towns, and worked from the top down so that the chambers have pyramid-shaped openings admitting light from above. Blocks were shipped out from the shore below. The village is also known for a spring festival built around traditional falconry with sparrowhawks.

What to look for

• The quarry chambers - underground rooms with pyramid-shaped light openings above.
• The tool marks - the cuts left by quarrymen on the chamber walls.
• The Carthage connection - stone shipped from here to build the Punic city.
• The falconry festival - the spring event built around sparrowhawk training.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the most comfortable. The falconry festival falls in June. Sea spray makes the coastal path slippery in winter.

Before you go

The chambers are dark and the footing is uneven. Sea conditions can close the coastal approach. The falconry festival is a village event and details change year to year.

Nearby

Kelibia is southeast, and Korbous is southwest.

Key facts