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The World | |
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The Coral Coast |
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Tunisia,
The Coral Coast The Coral Coast: Bizerta: , formerly the Roman city of Hippo Diarrytus, was a key port during World War II. It retains its old fishing harbour, a kasbah and medina, the Andalusian quarter, wide avenues and a palm-fringed promenade. Modern hotels in landscaped gardens and a splendid Congress Hall are spread along the Corniche above sand dunes. Scenic drives can be enjoyed around Cap Bizerta and Cap Blanc or around Lake Bizerta and Lake Ichkeul. The latter provides the habitat for numerous varieties of wildfowl, and the wooded mountain of Jebel Ichkeul is the home of buffalo sent as a royal gift to the Bey of Tunis. Utica: , 32km (20 miles) from both Bizerta and Tunis, is an old Phoenician settlement; see the Historic Sites section below. Nearby Raf Raf is a charming hilltop town. Tabarka: , a picturesque port and resort about 140km (90 miles) west of Bizerta, can be reached by an undulating country route through Teskraia and Jebel Abid, a horse-breeding centre. Tabarka is now a more peaceful place than its formidable Genoese fortress would suggest; today, it is given over largely to coral fishing, with spectacular scope for skindivers on the coral reefs, and for the netting of red mullet and hake. Tabarka's importance in the expanding tourist trade is exemplified by the construction of a 10,000-bed complex based around a marina, its golf course, as well as the building of a new international airport. The wooded and flower-decked foothills of Khroumiria, behind The Coral Coast, have more than a hint of unspoiled Provence, although the forests are of cork trees rather than olive. Deer, lynx, civets and jackals may be glimpsed by naturalists throughout the year. Southwards, past Bulla Regia (see Historic Sites) stands lofty Le Kef which has thermal springs. The region also has historical associations stretching from Roman, Punic and early Christian days up to the time of World War II. |