Wakacje Mahdia - holidays and trips

Wide, sandy beaches, crystal clear water and high-class hotels with rich all inclusive offer. Mahdia is a perfect place for a quiet holiday, visiting beautiful monuments and watersports.

Mahdia - a town on a promontory
Located in the north-east part of Tunisia, Mahdia is today a small, charming town bathed on three sides by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The city founded by the Phoenicians due to its strategic location on the promontory was being passed on from one hand to another hand for centuries - by Italians, Spaniards, and French to the Ottoman Empire. Traces of this centuries-long and multicultural history can be admired in Medina, which means the Old City of Mahdi. Today, tourists who are just discovering this town appreciate not only the multiplicity of beautiful monuments, but above all the peace and proximity of typically tourist places like Monastir and Sousse, which can be conveniently reached by local communication from Mahdi.

Beautiful beaches, underwater cities
Mahdi can enchant with clean, wide and sandy beaches, where you can find a lot of beautiful shells. At extra charge, you can rent umbrellas and sunbeds here, on which you can relax in glaring sunshine. Enthusiasts of active rest will be delighted with the prevailing perfect conditions for water sports, and diving enthusiasts will have the chance to discover nooks of the underwater caves, the magnificent Defensive Fort and the sunken city. The hotels here are not different from other facilities of this type in Tunisia. High-class facilities with excellent recreational and entertainment facilities and a rich all-inclusive programme are also the specialty of hotels in Mahdi.

It’s a must see!
Being in the Mahdi you have to see a small and extremely cozy medina. A market takes place here every Friday, where you can buy aromatic spices, coffee beans or fresh fish and seafood, which fishermen bring here straight from their fishing boats. The local medina extends along the promontory from the fortified, 50-meter long Skifa el-Kahla gate, to the beautiful white-and-red lighthouse at Cap Africa. It is a perfect place for long walks between the narrow, cobbled streets of the old Arabian city and visiting one of the small pubs serving local delicacies. It is not far from here to a historic Muslim cemetery, located on the mountainside, and a fishing port carved in stone. For a moment of rest it is worth stopping at the beautiful Place du Caire, where you can meet many young Mahdia people and relax in the shade of trees. Today, Mahdia is considered a religious center of the Tunisians, so it is worth seeing the local mosques, especially the Great Mosque (open to tourists until 13.00) and a kasbah. History lovers should visit the huge Regional Museum located in the city center and Dar Sghir, a traditional Tunisian house-museum where you can see traditionally decorated rooms and traditional costumes. Those who do not want to explore the city on foot or use public transport can easily rent bicycles or quads.

A cozy and tasty corner
The biggest advantages of the Mahdi are the intimate atmosphere, the opportunity to see how the real Tunisians live and no crowds of tourists whom we can meet in other seaside cities of Tunisia. There are a lot of cozy cafes and restaurants serving fresh, tasty dishes, as well as climatic bars with shisha, where in addition to smoking water pipe, you can enjoy a great Arabic coffee, excellent French and Italian wines or Turkish, yogurt ayran. The flavors that are sure to be associated with the Mahdia are ubiquitous fish and seafood as well as snails, which are considered a delicacy here. At richly supplied markets and bazaars, it is worth buying sponges of various shapes which are caught here, aromatic spices, especially curcuma, anise and cardamom. Locals appreciate the chickpeas, which is prepared not only in Mahdi, but in entire Tunisia in hundreds of ways. Try brik - traditional dumpling fried in deep oil made of filo pastry. Brik is traditionally served with tuna and egg, but is also available in a "sweet" version, with almond filling, honey and pistachios topping on the outside. An excellent souvenir from Mahdi will be a colorful scarf or shawl. Weaving has a very long history in Mahdi, and linen, silk or cotton fabrics will remind us of holidays in this peaceful Arabic town, full of polite and hospitable residents.

Sahara Explorer (2 days) — Day 1: visting El Jem with a beautifully preserved Roman amphitheatre, famous for its annual jazz concerts. Then transfer to Matmata of an astonishing lunar landscape. In the houses forged in rocks live the descendants of the Berbers - a visit to one of them. In the afternoon, transfer to Douz - "the gateway to Sahara". Optional camel ride over the dunes of the Sahara. Day 2: an exciting jeep expedition. Passage over the largest salt lake in Tunisia - Chott el Jerid to the desert oasis of Touzer and oases located in the Atlas Mountains: Chebika and Tamerza. On the return trip to the north, visiting the holy city in Tunisia - Kairouan, with the largest mosque of northern Africa - The Great Mosque of Sidi Okba. Two-day trip. Price - 95 EUR, children up to 12 y.o. - 47.5 EUR (includes: breakfast, 2 lunches, dinner, without drinks); additionally payable: camel ride (approx. 25 TND).

Pirate ship cruise — for enthusiasts of good fun! Cruise on a wooden pirate ship along the coast with the possibility of swimming and observing dolphins (if weather permits). Among others, the programme includes animations performed by the ship crew, group fun, Bedouin music and lunch. Price - 22 EUR, children up to 12 years old - 11 EUR.

Tunis - Carthage — Sidi Bou Said - exploring the centre of Tunis: a stroll along the narrow streets of the medina with the characteristic architecture of the old city and local shops. Travel to Carthage - presently the suburb of Tunis, where there is the president's residence and villas owned by Tunisian elites, and in the antiquity - the centre of the Phoenician empire. Visiting the remains of the huge complex Baths of Antonius, located by the sea and Byrsa Museum with a collection of unique works of art. Transfer to Sidi Bou Said, situated on a hill, a town of artists, which captivates with its white-blue houses that run along the cobbled streets. From here you can admire beautiful views of the sea and Bon Peninsula. Price - 44 EUR, children up to 12 y.o. - 22 EUR (includes lunch, without drinks).

Kairouan -El Jem - Mahdia - Monastir — departure in the morning to Kairouan. Visiting the Holy City: Aghlabite pools, Sidi Ukby Mosque included on the UNESCO list, the Berber Mausoleum and the carpet factory. Then a visit to El Jem and one of the largest Roman amphitheaters in the world, which could accommodate approx. 35 thousand people. Lunch and drive to Mahdia with a small medina and an ancient port. At the end, Monastir and an opportunity to see the Bourguiba Mausoleum. Return to hotels. Price - 48 EUR, children up to 12 y.o. - 24 EUR (includes lunch, without drinks).

Hammamet - Nabeul — transfer to Nabeul, famous for its ceramics. A city with an interesting history, founded in the 5th century BC by the Greeks as a commercial port. A visit to the pottery and ceramics factory. Free time for a stroll and shopping by a boardwalk and the local bazaar. Then a drive to Hammamet, visiting the Medina from the 15th century, free time. Return to hotels. Price - 23 EUR, children up to 12 y.o. - 11.5 EUR (includes lunch, without drinks).

Folklore evening - Park Al Zahra — departure to Kalâa Kebira and Park Al Zahra. A trip to on open-air museum, a visit to a typical Tunisian house, tasting of olive oil and traditionally baked bread. Later watching an artistic performance with live music and dinner with Tunisian couscous, starters, salads and drinks, including local wine. At the end, a fantastic multimedia show presenting 3000 years of Tunisian history - from Ancient Carthage to the present day. Return to the hotel in the evening. Price: approx. 39 EUR/person. (dinner and drinks included)

Cap Bon and Bou argoub — a trip to the most interesting places of the beautifully situated Cap Bon Peninsula. Departure in the morning to Hammamet. Walk along the charming promenade and a visit to medina. A trip to Nabeul, a city with an interesting history, founded in the 5th century BC by the Greeks as a commercial port. Visiting the pottery and ceramics factory, the production of which the city is famous for. The next stop is Kerkouane with ancient Phoenician ruins from the 6th century BC, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Then lunch in a restaurant in El Haouaria and a visit to the ancient Roman quarries. The last stop is the Baccus vineyards in Bou Argoub, where you can taste the local wines. Return to hotel. Price: approx. 40 EUR/person. (Includes lunch).

Friguia Park — visit to Friguia Park, one of the largest zoos in North Africa. On an area of about 36 hectares, more than 56 species of animals live, including giraffes, monkeys, ostriches, leopards, lions, servals and pink flamingos. The attraction are also seal shows and the possibility of feeding animals (for extra fee). Friguia Park is a perfect place to spend free time among animals and beautiful nature. Half-day trip. Price: approx. 23 EUR/person.

Berber day — a trip to Sidi Bou Ali and a visit to an ostrich farm. Opportunity to see many typical local pets, take part in preparation and baking of local bread and tasting of olives and olive oil. Then take a ride to Takrouna - a Berber village on a hill with a view of the coast. Then, the programme includes Zaghouan and Nymphaeum - Water Temple. In Roman times, Zaghouan was an important urban center, providing water supplies from local sources to Carthage. A trip to Sidi Jedidi. Time for dinner and a visit to a traditional Turkish bath with hammam ritual. Then a visit to Hergla - a small town on a cliff with a panoramic view of the harbor and the Gulf of Hammamet. Hergla is also known for architecture characteristic for the region and white houses. Return to hotel. Price: approx. 37 EUR/person. (Includes lunch).

Local excursions are organized by local travel agencies under the conditions fixed by them. It's possible to disorganize trips due to low number of applicants.