a man and woman holding hands in front of a body of water
Destination

Hammamet

Discover the best hotel in Hammamet

On the southern coast of Tunisia lies one of the most visited places in the country: the sunny town of Hammamet. Located just 60 km from the city of Tunis, capital of the country, this beautiful town of 80,000 inhabitants stands out for its magnificent white sand beaches and for the spa resort of Yasmine Hammamet, where our hotel in Hammamet the Iberostar Waves Averroes can be found.

The local Mediterranean climate means it is pleasant and sunny throughout the year, with average temperatures of around of 18 °C. However, this is just one of the countless incentives that await you in this privileged corner of Tunisia, which has been one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country since the 1970s.

Let us show you around!

What to see in Hammamet

The centre of Hammamet is divided into two main areas: the modern part to the north, and the medina, in the western part, surrounded by a wall originally constructed in the year 904. This enclosure houses a fortified kasbah, dating back to the 15th century, built on the site of a 12th century fort. From there you will enjoy incomparable views over the old town and the Mediterranean Sea.

Unlike in other North African towns, in the Hammamet medina the streets are not bursting with souks. It is really a residential neighbourhood where there is no shortage of workshops and craft and souvenir shops. Many of these houses are wonderful to look at and photograph, as many stand out for their colourful walls. Even the German painter Paul Klee could not resist portraying these houses in one of the most popular places to visit in Tunisia!

You will also find the occasional hamman, a typical Arab public bath that gives its name to the town.

A building that you can't miss is the Great Mosque, from the 12th century, with Arab and Turkish architectural elements. Next to it is the Mosque of Sidi Abdel Kader; erected in 1798, it is the seat of a school of Koranic studies. And last on the list of must-see-places is the Spanish Fort, from the 15th century.

If you want to relax with a bit of retail therapy, then why not visit the so-called new medina, which is full of shops and restaurants.

Just 6 km south of Hammamet, on the road to Sousse, you can explore the archaeological site of Pupput, with interesting Roman remains from the 2nd century AD.

Due to its strategic location, Hammamet is also an ideal place for excursions to other nearby towns and cities. One of which is Sidi Bou Said, a picturesque town of whitewashed buildings with blue doors and windows. The same could be said of the spectacular Roman amphitheatre of El Djem, from the 3rd century AD one of the best preserved Roman stone ruins in the world, and is unique in Africa. And finally we must mention the city of Kairouan, which has a fascinating architectural heritage, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988 it was an important centre for Islamic scholarship and Quranic learning, attracting a large number of Muslims from various parts of the world, next only to Mecca and Medina.

30 km from Hammamet sits the town of Grombalia, whose bustling market is well worth visiting. During the second half of September, its inhabitants celebrate the Harvest Festival.

What to do in Hammamet

If you are visiting Hammamet for the warm waters of the Mediterranean, you will love knowing that it is right on the seafront, with many restaurants, some of them luxury, and fast food establishments. In the Nabul area there is also a water park, perfect for families who want to travel to Hammamet with children.

Yasmine Hammamet, where the Iberostar Waves Averroes hotel is found also offers numerous leisure options. Created in the 1990s as an extension of the city, it houses a marina, with pleasure boats perfect for small trips along the coast many of which offer food and shows on board.

The port area also has two water parks called Carthageland and Aqualand, and a modern boardwalk with restaurants, shops and clubs. This shouldn't be surprising, since this is where the biggest offer of nightlife in Hammamet is concentrated, with an endless number of bars, pubs and clubs.

However, if you are looking for a quieter way to spend an evening, then you must try a delicious Tunisian tea on the terrace of the Bab Sidi Bouhdid café, located next to the town walls and a privileged spot to watch the best sunsets in Tunisia.

Of course, you can't go home without trying the exquisite Tunisian cuisine. The food here is the result of a deeply rooted culinary tradition, as well as contributions from several different cultures. Outstanding recipes such as couscous, a Tunisian dish called briks consisting of thin pastry around a vegetable filling, tajines and ojja, a local stew containing eggs. These are just a few of the many culinary delights that you can eat every day in Hammamet.

If you are a fan of health tourism, do not forget to visit a hammam, with jets of water at different temperatures and therapists offering body cleansing or a massage.

If you want to get even more acquainted with the local culture, don't miss the International Festival of Hammamet. This event takes place from mid-July to mid-August offering a programme of jazz, opera, theatre and circus shows and has been taking place since 1964.

Book your hotel in Hammamet

If you want to enjoy all this and more then come and visit us at the 4-star Iberostar Waves Averroes. This holiday complex is a seafront hotel with direct access to the beach, equipped with all the amenities for an unbeatable trip to Hammamet: a choice of both children's and adults swimming pool, a concierge service, a spa, outdoor hot tub, a gym, a hairdressing and beauty centre, a convention centre, and meeting rooms.

If you have decided to travel with children, the kids will have a great time in the playground and taking part in activities specifically organized for them in the Star Camp program.

So why wait? Check out our Tunisia hotel offers today. In Hammamet, Mahdia, Djerba or Sousse - book one of our rooms and enjoy the holiday of your dreams.

a large pool of water

Main beaches in Hammamet

The beaches in Hammamet could perfectly be used to represent the meaning of the Arabic word ‘hammamet’, which means ‘bathing place’. Indeed, there are no better places to lie in the sun and swim in the Mediterranean Sea like the white sand beaches on the Tunisian coast, such as Yasmine-Hammamet, Nabeul, Hergla, Sousse… Most stretches of sand in Hammamet are private beaches belonging to the beachfront hotels, and are thus very clean.

Main beaches in Hammamet

  • Yasmine-Hammamet beaches: It is a wonderful resort in an upmarket resort on the coast of Hammamet, with luxury hotels and gardens with jasmines and bougainvilleas all in bloom. The long beach has flour-like sands and warm, calm, crystal-clear water, safe for kids. The area has all the mod-cons holidaymakers would expect from a top destination like this one.
  • Nabeul beaches: Nabeul lies 5 minutes away from Hammamet, along spectacular sandy beaches and a turquoise blue sea. In Nabeul, the beaches are less crowded than in Hammamet, but the facilities and services are equally good. At the end of Nabeul is Cap Bon, affording breath-taking views of the entire coastline.
  • Sousse beaches: Named ‘the pearl of the Sahel’, Sousse boasts some of the best sands on the Tunisian coast: long and wide tongues of bright sand, sparkling turquoise blue water with low waves, lifeguard and security patrols, water sports facilities... The beaches at Sousse are a few minutes’ drive south of Hammamet on the coast.
  • Hergla beach: The town of Hergla has grown around this beautiful beach adjoining the beaches at Sousse, located a half hour’s drive south of Hammamet. Hergla’s beach is a long stretch of white sand and clean water, and has all the facilities families and couples would expect for a nice day in the sun.
a sandy beach next to the ocean

Activities in Hammamet

In Hammamet there are activities you can engage in to discover the Tunisian culture, history, arts and people. This Mediterranean coast of Africa has landmarks and ruins, deeply rooted beliefs and beautiful landscapes. The medina in Hammamet, the Old Town in Nabeul, the Great Mosque, the Yasmine district, the lake in Sebkha Sidi Khalifa or George Sebastian’s villa… In Hammamet, there are a thousand and one places to get lost.

What to do and what to see in Hammamet

  • The walled medina in Hammamet: Erected in the fifteenth century, the medina is one of the town’s gems. Surrounded by walls next to the seashore, the medina is crisscrossed by winding, narrow lanes full of charm and oozing the authentic local lifestyle.
  • Spanish fort: Built in 893 by the Spaniards, the fort skirts the souk of Hammamet close to the sea, with a wall that has come down to us virtually intact from the Middle Ages. Browsing the market visitors will find whatever they can think of.
  • Museum of the Medina: The museum is inside the medina itself and contains objects that take museum-goers back in time to find out about Hammamet’s early days, the cruel pillage by the Knights of Malta or the Nazi occupation in World War II.
  • George Sebastian’s Villa: Romanian millionaire George Sebastian fell in love with Hammamet and decided to build this villa in the 1920s in the traditional Tunisian style and surrounded by beautiful Arab gardens. Many architects consider the villa to be one of the most wonderful houses in the whole world. It has baths and an amphitheatre. Currently it is an important cultural centre.
  • The Great Mosque: The mosque is one of the symbols of Hammamet, the centre of religious life in town and started to be built in the twelfth century. It is a simple, huge, building, with impeccable white walls. It stands in the heart of Hammamet and a smaller replica was built in the Yasmine district.
  • Friguia Park: Friguia is a perfect amusing park for kids. It has fun rides, a zoo with a host of African animal species like hippopotamuses, giraffes, lions, etc.
  • Carthage Land: In this theme park, visitors will learn about the history of Tunisia to this day. It was designed with art lovers in mind and families with kids, who will not only learn but also have fun in the park’s multiple attractions.
  • Dar Hammamet Museum: It exhibits one of the largest collections of traditional costumes from Tunisia. The wedding dresses are amazing but museum-goers will find also handicraft tools and common equipment from different periods. A tour of the museum will show visitors the soul of the Tunisian people.

Experiences in Hammamet

Experiences in Hammamet reproduce the special charm that exists in every corner of this town in Tunisia and takes visitors to a whole new world. Camelback rides across the desert, sailing in the Mediterranean in a pirate ship, walking inside the medina and watching the sun going down from the medina’s walls, sharing a cup of tea in a tea house, eating brik... Find out what to do in Hammamet and enjoy a new experience every day.

Experiences in Hammamet: What to do

  • Shopping in Nabeul market: The market is open on Friday and sells souvenirs, home decor accessories, tea, fruit, sweets... In sum, it can be a unique experience, an explosion of colours and flavours, a place to get lost for hours and masterthe art of bargaining.
  • Camelback riding in Hammamet: A curious thing to do in Hammamet is exploring the town on camelback. Excursions vary from 15-minute rides across quiet areas or long rides to the desert, where looking at the sunset can be a unique experience. All tours are headed by a local guide.
  • Belly dancing: Or better, attending a belly dancing show in a traditional bar in Hammamet. The music is sensual and the dancers twist the hips while you sip your tea or eat some brik, a popular Tunisian snack.
  • Boat ride through the gulf of Hammamet: Themed ships – the pirate-themed ship is great for families travelling with children – depart from the port of Hammamet every day. They take tourists along the coast off the city.
  • Having tea by the beach of Hammamet: Hammamet’s beach is lined with all kinds of restaurants, bars and taverns serving local specialties such as green tea, which is drunk from decorated tea glasses. The best souvenir to take back home is the lovely aroma of green tea leaves.
  • Sunset in the Medina: Take a walk through the streets lined with whitewashed houses and head for the seashore. Watching the sunset in Hammamet is a memorable experience. Fill your eyes with the reddish light that taints the medina and the fortress that protects it. A perfect photo op.
  • Eating out in a jaima: The best way of trying the local food is not the outdoor tables in a restaurant but having couscous under a jaima canopy by the sea, in a stunning atmosphere, ideal for a romantic dinner.
  • Day-trip to Sousse: Rent a car and head for Sousse, a town south of Hammamet and a typical example of a town dating from the first centuries of Islam. Lovers of the arts and archaeology will find in the pearl of the Sahel the Great Mosque, one of the earliest buildings located in the medina – a World Heritage Site since 1988 –, and the catacombs from the 1st century AD.

Events in Hammamet

Look at the calendar of events and festivals in Hammamet and plan your trip to get closer to the culture and tradition of this town in Tunisia. There are festivals throughout the year, but some religious feasts are held in the same month on different days every year. The spring and summer on this Mediterranean coast are particularly full of interesting, colourful events.

Major events in Hammamet

  • January – Revolution Day: The events leading to the toppling of Ben Ali have been dubbed in Western media ‘Jasmine Revolution’ or ‘Jasmine Spring’ after Tunisia’s national flower. The name adopted in Tunisia was the ‘Dignity Revolution’, which is a translation of the Arabic name for the revolution.
  • 20 March – Independence Day: In 1956, Tunisia achieved independence from France. Independence Day commemorates the uprising leading to this achievement, with the most important celebrations taking place in the capital city.
  • March/April – Orange Festival: The town of has a peculiar way to celebrate one of the star products growing in this Tunisian region: oranges. The festival is held at the end of the citrus, orange is the most important, not the only one, harvesting season. Traditional food, music and dance take the streets of Hammamet.
  • April – Martyrs’ Day: Tunisia commemorates the national martyrs in early April with several solemn functions and offerings. Martyrs’ Day is celebrated with patriotic fervour in villages and towns across Tunisia.
  • June/July – Hammamet International Festival: When the summer sets in and loads of tourists arrive in Hammamet, there begins the cultural activities scheduled for June and July, including dance, music and theatre plays featuring internationally renowned artists in the big town auditorium.
  • August – Hammamet Nautical Festival: In early August, Hammamet holds a big nautical fair with sports, traditional dance, cookouts, beach parties and games related to the Mediterranean Sea.
  • September – Grape Harvest Festival: In Grombalia, some 30km from Hammamet, a big festival is staged around the second half of September, at the end of the grape harvest season. Food and music fill the air in this small grape growing region that, curiously enough, is a Muslim region, where alcohol is banned by the Quran.

Sports in Hammamet

Sports in Hammamet are closely linked to the sea, as the town has developed around its wonderful beaches. In Hammamet, tourist will find top-end facilities for sailing, water skiing, diving, surfing, etc. Water sports are not the only option for sportspersons, since the town has some excellent golf courses, which are amongst the best in the Mediterranean region, plus tennis courts and hiking paths.

Sports in Hammamet

  • Diving in Cap Bon: Flanked by the gulf of Hammamet, the sea bottom in the area has a unique topographical nature and certified diving clubs with modern equipment. Being a touristy area, diving excursions are available year-round. In the summer, the sparkling Mediterranean waters invite divers to explore the fascinating underwater world off the coast of Tunisia.
  • Sailing in Yasmine Hammamet: With as many as 700 berths, the marina in Yasmine Hammamet is the biggest on the Tunisian coast, followed by Sidi Bou Said with 380 and Port El Kantaoui with 300. In Yasmine there is a nautical club with a sailing school for beginners. Sailboat trips on the gulf of Hammamet depart from this club.
  • Kitesurfing in Hammamet: At some areas on the coast of Hammamet there are certified kitesurfing centres. The sea is perfect for wave surfing and impossible jumps. The coast around Nabeul is one of the best spots for kitesurfing.
  • Tennis in Hammamet: The exclusive area around Yasmine Hammamet boasts some of the best tennis clubs in the Mediterranean region. Tennis players will find all types of tennis courts and surfaces, as well as schools that offer one-to-one or group lessons.
  • Golf in Port El Kantaoui: This Mediterranean resort with a Moorish flavour and lovely gardens is one of the most beautiful places on the central Tunisian coast. It is perfect to play golf. It has one of the largest golf courses in the country, a 36-hole course and courses to suit from beginners to top professional golfers.