Nefta

Nefta lies west of Tozeur on the edge of the Chott el Jerid, and its defining feature is the Corbeille, a natural basin below the town where springs rise and feed a dense palm grove sunk into a hollow so that visitors look down onto the tops of the trees. Nefta has long been a centre of Sufi learning with a great many zaouias and shrines, and the old quarters carry the same patterned brickwork as Tozeur.

The landscape

• The Corbeille - a sunken basin of springs and palms viewed from the rim above.
• The zaouias - the many Sufi shrines and lodges the town is known for.
• The brickwork - the geometric patterned brick facades of the old quarters.
• The Chott edge - the salt flat beginning just outside the town.

When to go

October to April is comfortable; summer here is extreme. Early morning and late afternoon are best for the Corbeille light. Spring dust storms are possible.

What to expect

The Corbeille springs have declined as groundwater has been drawn down and the basin is less lush than older accounts describe. The old quarters are decaying in places. Summer heat is dangerous.

Nearby

Tozeur is east, and Ong Jemal is north.

Key facts