Douiret to Chenini
- Hike
- Distance
- 12km
- Duration
- 4HRS
- Ascent
- 434M
Listed 12 km / drawn track 8.4 km
Elevation profile
429-595 M / TERRAIN TILES SAMPLED ALONG THE TRACK
Photographs
Photos: Josep M. Gracia (CC BY-SA 4.0), Skander zarrad (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Start point
- Car
- Douiret is 22 km south-west of Tataouine; arrange a pickup in Chenini (18 km from Tataouine).
- Louage
- Louage from Tunis Moncef Bey station to Tataouine (verify locally), then taxi.
Nearby
The trail
The final stage country of the Dahar trail: a ridge walk between the hilltop ksour of Douiret and Chenini.
Douiret and Chenini are ruined Berber hill villages south-west of Tataouine, each crowned by a fortified granary (ksar) above cave houses cut into the rock strata. The route climbs from the white mosque of Douiret onto the plateau, reaching about 600 m with wide views over the Dahar, then drops past the Mosque of the Seven Sleepers with its long legendary graves into Chenini. Along the way are olive groves, dry waterfalls, sulphurous rock bands and a spring.
- Ksar of Douiret
- Mosque of the Seven Sleepers
- Chenini cave village
- Dahar plateau panoramas
Weather and season
- SEASON
- Oct-Apr
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14.6 C | 5.7 C | 7 mm |
| February | 16.1 C | 6.5 C | 12 mm |
| March | 20.1 C | 9.3 C | 15 mm |
| April | 25.4 C | 12.9 C | 10 mm |
| May | 28.7 C | 16 C | 3 mm |
| June | 32.7 C | 19.6 C | 2 mm |
| July | 35.6 C | 21.9 C | 0 mm |
| August | 34.8 C | 22.1 C | 1 mm |
| September | 32.3 C | 20.9 C | 7 mm |
| October | 26.7 C | 16.9 C | 12 mm |
| November | 20.3 C | 11.5 C | 17 mm |
| December | 15.3 C | 7.1 C | 12 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
- Spring near the Seven Sleepers mosque is not reliable; carry 2-3 L.
- Guide
- recommended
- Hazards
- Rocky gorge section and narrow goat path near Chenini; heat.
- 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.