Tabarka to Ain Draham Road Climb
- Bike
- Distance
- 22.9km
- Duration
- 2HRS
- Ascent
- 800M
Elevation profile
27-724 M / TERRAIN TILES SAMPLED ALONG THE TRACK
Photographs
Photos: Eyakaddour (CC BY-SA 4.0), Citizen59 (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Start point
- Car
- About 175 km west of Tunis via Beja and Nefza to Tabarka (about 3 h), then 7.5 km south on the Ain Draham road.
- Louage
- Louage from Tunis Bab Saadoun station to Tabarka (verify locally), then ride to the foot of the climb.
- Bus / train
- Train Tunis-Jendouba, then louage Jendouba-Tabarka; SNTRI buses also run Tunis-Tabarka.
Nearby
The trail
A long paved road climb from the coastal plain south of Tabarka up through the cork-oak forest to the hill town of Ain Draham.
This is the classic road climb of the Tunisian north-west. The segment starts where the Tabarka-Ain Draham national road leaves the plain a few kilometres south of Tabarka and winds up the Kroumirie hills, gaining about 800 m in 22.9 km before rolling into Ain Draham, which sits at around 700 m. The surface is mostly well paved and the gradient is steady rather than steep, but the length makes it a hard ride that needs good fitness. The road climbs through some of the densest cork-oak and zeen-oak forest in the country, and the air cools noticeably on the way up. Riders usually start from Tabarka, which adds about 7.5 km of flat road to the foot of the climb, and return the same way for a long descent to the sea.
- About 800 m of climbing in 22.9 km
- Cork-oak and zeen-oak forest of Kroumirie
- Cool hill town of Ain Draham at the top
- Long descent back toward the sea at Tabarka
Weather and season
- SEASON
- Apr-Jun and Sep-Nov; rain and fog are common in winter
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13.5 C | 8.1 C | 193 mm |
| February | 13.5 C | 7.6 C | 195 mm |
| March | 15.6 C | 9.2 C | 152 mm |
| April | 18.7 C | 11.6 C | 86 mm |
| May | 21.3 C | 14.1 C | 68 mm |
| June | 25.9 C | 18 C | 19 mm |
| July | 29.3 C | 21.3 C | 7 mm |
| August | 29.7 C | 22 C | 21 mm |
| September | 26.3 C | 19.7 C | 63 mm |
| October | 23.1 C | 16.7 C | 103 mm |
| November | 18.3 C | 12.6 C | 198 mm |
| December | 14.7 C | 9.6 C | 182 mm |
Monthly normals 2011-2020 at the start point, from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Shaded months are the season this trail is listed for.
Practical
- Water
- Carry 1.5-2 L; cafes and shops in Tabarka and Ain Draham, little in between.
- Guide
- not needed
- Hazards
- Shared road with cars and trucks on bends; fog and wet roads in the cooler months; fast descent on the way back.
- Route
- Approximate line along mapped paths between verified waypoints. Follow a guide or a GPS track on the ground.
Go with a guide
These operators and clubs organise guided hikes in Tunisia:
- WildyNessTunisian booking platform for guided hikes with local guides (Cap Blanc, Mides, Selja, Dahar, El Haouaria), several with GPS downloads.
- Association Tunisienne des RandonneursHiking association in Tunis that runs and writes up group hikes across the country.
- Mosaic North AfricaTour operator offering custom hiking trips, including the Chebika, Tamerza and Mides oases.
- Destination DaharPublishes the official topoguide (12 stages, 194 km) of the Grande Traversee du Dahar.
- Grand Sahara AventuresDjerba-based operator running Berber village and desert treks in the south.
- Destination TunisTunis-based guide publishing and leading day hikes around Tunis and Cap Bon.