Monastir

Monastir is the easiest town to reach on the Sahel, Tunisia's central coast: the international airport is 8 km from the centre, about ten minutes by road, and a Sahel metro station sits next to the terminal. You can land in the morning and be strolling the ribat esplanade by the afternoon. The town is smaller and quieter than Sousse, a quarter of an hour away, with a medina, a marina, a fishing port and a long seafront that runs on into the Skanès hotel zone.

A day on foot in Monastir

Everything lies along the seafront, between the marina, the ribat esplanade and the seaside cemetery.

Morning: the ribat. Founded in 795-796 by Harthama ibn A'yan, the Abbasid governor of Ifriqiya, the Ribat of Monastir was enlarged over the centuries. This fortified monastery, once home to soldier-monks guarding the coast, now houses a museum of Islamic art whose best-known piece is a 10th-century astrolabe from Córdoba. The watchtower has 90 steps, according to the tourist board. The ribat opens daily, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm in winter and 8 am to 7 pm in summer, local time; entry is 8 Tunisian dinars (TND), about €2.40.

Midday: the Bourguiba mausoleum. Habib Bourguiba, independent Tunisia's first president, was born in Monastir and is buried here, in a mausoleum with gilded domes and minarets. Part of it is a museum. Guidebooks list entry as free.

Afternoon: the medina and marina. The medina's souks sell leather, blankets and basketwork. The walk ends at the marina, lined with cafés and apartment hotels, and the fishing port.

During Ramadan, expected from 8 February to 9 March 2027, the ribat closes at 5 pm: see our Ramadan and public holidays 2027 guide.

Skanès and the summer palace

The Skanès zone, which continues the seafront, is lined with beach hotels. The Skanès presidential palace, Bourguiba's former summer residence built in the 1960s, is described as open to visitors by the national tourist office; opening times are not published, so check locally.

The Kuriat islands by boat

The Kuriat islands are two sandy islets about 18 km off Monastir. People go for the beach, swimming and snorkelling, and because sea turtles nest there, though sightings are not guaranteed. Half-day trips with lunch leave from Sousse, Monastir or Mahdia, from about €68 per person. For swimming, the sea is above 23 °C from June to October and reaches 27 °C in August.

Golf in Monastir

Monastir has two courses, one by the sea, the other on a hillside.

• Palm Links: an 18-hole green fee was listed at TND 80, about €24. Visiting players are welcome Monday to Friday, booking required.
• Flamingo: the only published rate is old, so ask the club.

To combine them with the 36 holes of El Kantaoui, half an hour away, see Sousse and Port El Kantaoui and our golf and thalasso guide.

Around Monastir

• Moknine, 20 km away, is a potters' village known for jars and ceramics.
• Lamta has an archaeological site on the Sahel metro line; its museum is closed.
• Mahdia and El Jem are about an hour away: see Mahdia and El Jem.
• Kairouan is 67 km from the airport, about 55 minutes: see Kairouan.

For something more active, a two-hour quad-bike trip from Monastir starts at about €33 per person.

Where to stay in Monastir

Dar Benti is the guesthouse chosen by Sabaro, in the heart of the medina, on a quiet lane of the spice merchants' quarter near the Bab El Gharbi gate. Its seven rooms and suites range from 22 to 48 m²; the Suite Karim has its own patio and a heated jacuzzi usable all year, and the Suite Royale Alyssa is accessible to guests with reduced mobility. There is a pool upstairs, and the ribat and beaches are a few minutes' walk away. Sabaro does not yet have a confirmed rate, so prices are given on request.

For a large beach hotel with thalasso, the Sousse hotels are a quarter of an hour away. Our boutique hotels and honeymoon pages suggest others.

Weather and safety

Average highs range from 17 °C in January to 33 °C in August in Monastir. None of the European foreign ministries Sabaro follows advises against the town. The country is under the state of emergency declared in November 2015: keep away from places where security forces are stationed. The "Travel advice" table on this page gives the advice for your country, and our Tunisia safety guide sets out the situation.