Monastir

Not to be confused with Bitola, a Macedonian city historically known as Monastir.

Al Qurayyah beach in Monastir

Monastir is a city in Tunisia 160 km from Tunis. Set along a superb coastline with a blue sea and long golden sandy beaches, Monastir is a pleasant seaside resort, a historical town full of tradition and one of the best tourist destinations in Northern Africa.

Under the protection of its ribat, one of the most impressive fortresses of Tunisia, Monastir's medina, fishing port, marina and background of villages and orchards make it a lively and welcoming destination.

Understand

Situated halfway between Sousse and Mahdia, and in the intersection of Kairouan and El Jem, Monastir is distinguished by its location in the central coast of Tunisia. It is an ancient city dating from Phoenician times. Due to its strategic location, it shelters the oldest and the most important ribat in the Maghreb: a lovely fortress that is one of Tunisia's finest examples of Islamic military architecture.

Monastir is also known as a really beautiful and calm city.

Get in

Tunisair Airplane

By plane

Monastir is a three-hour flight from many principal European cities.

1 Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport (MIR  ^IATA), Skanes (9 km from the city center), ☏ +216 73 521 300.  

Getting to the airport: the trip by taxi costs about 5 DT. Getting to the airport is also possible through train between Monastir and Sousse, since "Skanes-Monastir airport station" is 200 m from airport terminal.

By train

There are regular train services to Tunis and Sousse to the north and Mahdia to the south.

• 2 Monastir railway station (Gare Habib Bourguiba Monastir). (updated Jul 2022)

By bus

A louage to Sousse takes about 20 minutes and costs 2.1 DT. It departs just outside of the medina walls next to the train station.

3 Gare Routière de Monastir. (updated Nov 2018)

Get around

The distances between the Medina, Ribat and Marina are small enough to be covered on foot. Taxis for longer distances within the city can be found everywhere and are very cheap (less than DT3 for a trip within the city).

See

Ribat

Great Mosque of Monastir

• 1 Ribat. This fortified monastery is located next to the sea and provides a great visit with most of the ruins open to clamber over. It may be familiar as it has been used in several films as a stand in for Jerusalem, most notably Monty Python's Life of Brian. You can climb the tower and have a nice view over the coastline and city. 8 DT. (updated Feb 2018)

• Ribat also houses 2 Islamic Arts Museum of Monastir. Contains illuminated manuscripts, Coptic textiles from the fourth to seventh century, textiles from the ninth century, the Fatimid glass of tenth and eleventh centuries, Abbasid pottery, coins of gold and silver from the tenth and eleventh centuries and especially unique: an Arabic astrolabe made in Cordoba in 927 CE. Price included in Ribat entrance fee. (updated Nov 2018)

• 3 Mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba, Skanes, ☏ +216 71 341 077. Enormous mausoleum, in the centre of a large cemetery. It holds the remains of former president Habib Bourguiba, the father of Tunisian independence, who died on April 6, 2000. Free. (updated Feb 2018)
• 4 Museum of Habib Bourguiba, Palais Presidentiel de Skanes. It's a house of Habib Bourguiba, Tunisia's first president, which was later turned into a museum. It's worth a visit only if you're interested in the modern history of Tunisia, otherwise nothing spectacular. (updated Nov 2018)
• 5 Museum of folk arts and traditions of Monastir (Musée des arts et traditions populaires). Displays traditional Tunisian costumes: wedding costumes, adornments, woven domestic items and copper objects. (updated Nov 2018)
• 6 The Old Port el Kahlia. Old port with excellent location and panoramic views. (updated Nov 2018)
• 7 Marina. Admiring looks, enormous yachts, floating restaurants and luxury hotels. It's also a nice place for a stroll in the sun and for a coffee. Free. (updated Feb 2018)
• 8 Great Mosque of Monastir. Built in the 9th century and then enlarged over the centuries. It now includes a prayer room and a minaret, and doesn't have a courtyard inside. Off-limits to non-Muslims. (updated Nov 2018)
• 9 Zaouia of Sidi Mansour Ba Yazid. Mausoleum of 17th-century Muslim mystic. (updated Nov 2018)
• 10 Ancient ruins, Ghdamsi island. (updated Nov 2018)

Further away

• 11 Lamta Archaeological Museum, Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Lamta. Tu-Su 9AM–1PM and 4–7PM. The ancient city of Leptiminus is located about 10 km south of Monastir. It was founded by Phoenician sailors around the 12th century BC. The modern city of Lamta was built on top of this ancient city, thus leaving almost nothing of it. Although some remnants from the times of Leptiminus can still be found in this museum. (updated Nov 2018)
• 12 Ribat Lamta. 9AM–6PM. (updated Nov 2018)
• 13 Museum of Moknine (Musee Archeologique de Moknine), Moknine. Tu-Su 9:30AM–4:30PM. (updated Nov 2018)

Do

• 1 Bicycle rental. 5 DT/hour. (updated Nov 2018)
• 2 Karting, Airport Road, Tourist Area (near Sahara Beach Hotel), ☏ +216 23400004, karting-monastir@hotmail.com. 10:00 - 02:00 in summer and 09:30 - 19:30 in the rest of the year. The Palm Karting Monastir offers a great deal for those who are passionate for karting or those who want to try it. Two circuits (adults and kids), a coffee shop, a great Mexican restaurant and a nice party space. 15 minutes/20 DT and 30 minutes/30 DT. (updated Nov 2018)
• Carriage. You can also go around Monastir with the famous and traditional carriages and of course for a good price.
• Touristic train. It is a cheap and original means to discover the city.
• 3 Flamingo Golf Course, Route de Ouardanine B.P. 40, ☏ +216 73 500 283. (updated Nov 2018)
• 4 Palm Links Golf Course, ☏ +216 73 521 910. Designed by Californian architect. (updated Nov 2018)

Buy

• 1 Medina. Only a small section of the original Medina remains but it contains a bazaar selling the usual souvenirs, artisanal jewelry, pottery and carpets. Prices seemed to be generally lower than in nearby Sousse. (updated Nov 2018)
• 2 Monoprix. 8:30AM–10PM. A large supermarket near the southeast wall of the Medina. You can buy everything here, including alcohol (wine/beer) at the back entrance. Next to Monoprix is a small local market for meat, vegetables, bread, etc. (updated Nov 2018)

Eat

Budget

• 1 Mix Max Tandoori, rue moufida bourguiba, R6. (updated Sep 2022)
• 2 Mamma Chami. (updated Sep 2022)

Mid-range

• 3 restaurant Marina The Captain, cap marina. (updated Sep 2022)
• 4 Guilty. (updated Sep 2022)
• 5 El koojina, Bab El Kram n°6. (updated Aug 2022)
• 6 Soprano. (updated Sep 2022)
• 7 BIZZ'ART. (updated Sep 2022)
• 8 Restaurant Bel Air Central. (updated Sep 2022)

Splurge

• 9 THE VIEW (La Palette Resto & Lounge). (updated Sep 2022)

Sleep

The infrastructure of hotels is of a remarkable quality and continues to get even better. Classed hotels (from one to five stars) are beyond reproach for hygiene and facilities. Covered swimming pools, sporting facilities, mini-clubs for children and spa centers are very common.

• 1 Amir Palace, Dkhila, ☏ +216 73 520 900, fax: +216 73 521 823. 4-star hotel. From 100 DT double. (updated Mar 2017)
• 2 Dessole Bella Vista, Zone Touristique Dkhila Skanes, ☏ +216 73 520 555, fax: +216 73 521 477. 4-star hotel. 
• 3 Delphin Ribat Hotel Monastir (El Habib), Av Habib Bourguiba, ☏ +216 73 466750, fax: +216 73 466751. 3-star hotel. From 100 DT double. 
• 4 Marina Cap Monastir - Appart Hôtel, Port Marina Monastir, ☏ +216 73 462 305. Nice studio apartments in the Marina with sea view, private bathroom and small kitchen. You can get a bargain price when booking online through one of the common hotel portals. From 80 DT. (updated Nov 2018)
• 5 El Mouradi Skanes Hotel. A great hotel close to the beach. It is not a cheap hotel but it is worth the price. From 100 TN. (updated Nov 2018)

Splurge

• 6 Royal Thalassa Monastir, Skanes, ☏ +216 73 520520, fax: +216 73520500. The only hotel with 5 stars in town. From 250 DT double. (updated Mar 2017)

Go next

• Sousse
• Kairouan
• El Jem