Discover More Around Bizerte

Bizerte is one of Tunisia’s oldest cities, with more than two millennia of maritime history. Founded as a Phoenician trading settlement, it later became the Roman Hippo Diarrhytus, an important port connected to the Mediterranean trade network and the routes linking North Africa with Rome and Ostia.

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Under Ottoman rule, Bizerte became an important corsair harbour. One of its most fascinating figures was Usta Mourad, a Ligurian-born sailor who became commander of Bizerte’s galleys in 1615. From Bizerte, his fleet operated across the Mediterranean. He later became Dey of Tunis in 1637.

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The Medina, Kasbah and Vieux Port still reflect this maritime history. During the French Protectorate, a canal connected Lake Bizerte with the Mediterranean, transforming the city into a major naval and commercial port. After Tunisian independence, Bizerte remained strategically important, leading to the Bizerte Crisis of 1961 and the final withdrawal of French forces in 1963.

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Today, the historic centre opens towards beaches, pine forests, coastal cliffs, lakes and countryside. Several endurance-horse training stables are located in the surrounding forests, so horses are a familiar sight outside the city. Our experiences take guests into this landscape through horseback riding towards Ain Damous Beach, hiking, cycling, boat trips, Medina tours and authentic local experiences.