Ksar Ghilane

A warm spring at the edge of the dunes.

Ksar Ghilane is where the sand sea begins in earnest. This tiny oasis sits at the edge of the Grand Erg Oriental, and its warm spring-fed pool, surrounded by palms, is one of the great pleasures of the Tunisian Sahara.

Out in the dunes stands the ruin of a Roman fort, Tisavar, once a lonely outpost on the empire's frontier. Spend the night in a desert camp and watch the stars come out.

Highlights

• The warm spring

• Dunes of the Grand Erg Oriental

• Roman fort of Tisavar

Best for: Desert, adventure

Photo: veroyama / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0