Resort Port El Cantaui in Tunisia
Port of El Cantaui is a special tourist area in Tunisia, created in the 1980s on the initiative of President Habib Burgibiba. Under construction, it was then allocated 307 hectares of land at the site of the village of El Cantaui to the north of the town of Sousse, here built a port for yachts, the reconstruction of the medina’s walls, several entertainment parks and the market. The coast a few kilometers south and north from the port took hotels.
The resort became the capital of a golf, which tourists say a small sculptural composition at the entrance (in the photo on the right).
Port of El Cantaui is called "Tunisia Tourist Reserve". Unlike other resorts, here really not to see the real life of Tunisians. But let’s think, and the tourists need it? We will understand all the advantages and disadvantages of the resort of El Cantaui. Prices and other information in this article are updated in March 2020.
Important moment
Search bases of tours and hotels belong to El Cantaui in different ways. Some highlight it as a separate resort and settlement, some consider part of the Sousse. The second approach is incorrect from all points of view. First, El Cantaui is outside the city of Sousse and officially does not officially. Secondly, the zone is very different from the souss of hotels and recreation features.
Click to see the map of the region. The city of Sousse, a green area of the port of El Cantaui, a purple area of hotels and private houses of the resort, is highlighted in blue.
If you want to spend your vacation in El Cantaui, get ready for the search engine of the tours to give a long list of offers in the Sousse resort (with the offers included in El Cantaui, and you will have to choose the desired hotels yourself, focusing on Yandex or Google cards. Uncomfortable, but nothing can be done.
Where is the port of El Cantaui on the Tunisa map
North of Sousse in the Supil region. Read our article in detail "Map of Tunisia with resorts", There is a detailed map, indicating all the large resorts of the country and the nearest airports.
What is the resort of Port El Cantaui
At the initiative of President Habib Burgibiba in 1979, Societe D’Etudes et de Developpement in Sousse-Nord was established (Society for the Sousse-North Research Company). This organization was engaged in planning the resort and the appointment of contractors.
Already in the early 80s were built: an artificial harbor and a port for yachts (in the photo on the left) adjacent to it infrastructure, the first golf course and several hotels.
The main architect of the resort was Olivier Clemander Kakub – Pet of Habiba Burbibiba and the most famous Tunisian architect of modernity. He designed: Building Africa on Avenue Habiba Burbiba, Mausoleum Habib Burbibiba in Monastir, Presidential Palace in Carthage and still dozens of important buildings in Tunisia, Congo, Cameroon and France. As a basis, a grimel port was taken on the French Riviera.
The resort is built around the port for yachts. Initially, its capacity was 340 vessels, later it was expanded to the capacity of more than 500 vessels. The port is intended only for yachts, big ships do not come here, too small.
Restaurants and cafes, tourist markets, Amusement parks are concentrated around the port: Aqua Palace Water Park, Hannibal Park, Fountains. At the entrance to the port there is a small section of the wall that imitates the traditional medina (center of the Arab city, discouraged by the wall). Buildings around are made in white and blue colors, on the idea of the architect district should repeat the famous Sidi-bu-Said. Narrow stamped stones and arches enhance the feeling that the visitor is in Tunisia, but not on the 21st century, and the 18th or 19th.
Around greens, flowers and difts. Impressions from the area of Port El Cantaui near tourists only the most pleasant. See a small photo gallery below.
From the port to the north and south goes street. From the coastal side of it are located the main hotels of the resort. On the opposite side of the restaurants, shops, private sector houses and several hotels.
The construction experience in El Cantaui Tunisians later used to build a second large artificial resort area of the country – Yasmin Hammamet.
Advantages of rest in Port El Cantaui
The first advantage is the sandy beaches of the highest quality. Soft fine sand (in the photo on the right) and the sandy nice bottom of the sea. By the quality of the beaches, the Khammam Sousse region is not inferior to the famous Hammamet.
The second advantage – location in the middle between Monastir airports (them. Habiba Burgibiba) and Enfids (Enfida Hammamet). The distance from both airports to Al Cantaui about 25 kilometers, will have to go not more than 30 minutes.
Most often when buying a tour to the resorts of Northern Tunisia, you have to take into account the airport arrival of a charter flight to avoid a long trip from the airport to the hotel. In the case of El Cantaui, you can not worry about this.
The third advantage is the convenient organization of the resort. All objects outside the port zone are located along one single road, it is impossible to get lost.
Fourth Advantage – Developed Tourist Infrastructure. Here are dozens of souvenir shops, sightseeing bureaus, restaurants, cafes and eaters. You can find everything that you may need to tourists or soul wishes to bring from Tunisia.
Fifth advantage – the presence of local entertainment. Talk about them later in this article.
Sixth advantage – variety of hotels. There are "treshi", "four" and chic "five". Port of El Cantaui is the resort "on any wallet". On the photo on the left, the territory of one of the best locals – El-Mouradi Palm Marina.
The seventh advantage is the proximity of the major city of Sousse with all its sights. Before the souta can be reached by taxi, a distance of about 10 kilometers, pay about 8 Tunisian dinars.
Sousse is a large transport node of the country, from here by train convenient to get to many attractions: El Jam, Frigia, city of Tunisia and. Read the details in our reviews "Taxi in Tunisia" and "Trains in Tunisia".
disadvantages
Port of El Cantaui in a joke called "tourist ghetto". This is a purely resort area where not to see the real life of Tunisia. But if you look at the other hand, it is near Sousse – the third country in the country. No one forbids go there to look at the real Tunisia and Tunisians.
Hotels in Port El Cantaui diverse, but there are few of them. If aimed at five stars, the choice will be small – four hotels. Four and Tryshki The situation is similar, the range is very narrow.
In El Cantaui, dear Earth, this is an elite area of the country. Accordingly, hotels can not afford to have a large territory. Local hotels are considered normal to have only one pool. If the hotel does not have a separate children’s pool, it is considered the usual phenomenon. No tennis courts or game sites do not surprise anyone. We strongly recommend to specify the composition of the hotel infrastructure before buying a tour.
And the main drawback is high prices. For dinner in a restaurant or snack in a cafe pay 30-50% more expensive than on other resorts. For Tunisian souvenirs, many tourists prefer to go to Sousse, where goods are cheaper and the range is wider.
There are no large carfur supermarkets in El Cantaui. Shopping have to do in souvenir shops.
How to move along El Cantaui
It is most convenient to ride a taxi. The trip from the port area will cost within 5 dinars, in Sousse – in the redistribution of 10 dinars. Some hotels to interesting places are easier walking on foot, check the location of the hotel by Google Maps.
Equestrian crews are available for romantic lovers, look at the photo on the left. On the main street there are minibuses, the fare is 1-2 dinar. When landing, you need to ask the driver, whether he rides in the right direction. Ask the words "port" or "sow".
From the parking zone near the port in Sousse, there is a special automotive "Noddi Traine". The fare is 2.5 dinar, departs every 15 minutes. This is an uncomfortable type of transport, as its parking in Parking needs to be found, and the parking lots still need to get from the hotel.
Hotels
They are here just a couple of dozens. Most popular among Russians – Marhaba Palace 4 *. This hotel combines a low cost of accommodation, convenient location near the port area and high quality service.
EL Cantausi at once four hotels brand El-Mouradi: El-Mouradi Palace 5 *, El-Mouradi Palm Marina 5 *, El-Mouradi Club Kantaoui 4 * and El-Mouradi Club Selima 3 *. Hotel El-Mouradi hotels have proven themselves, we recommend readers first of all.
Shops and restaurants
As we said, large supermarkets are not here, but pleases a large number of ordinary Fix stores Price. We recommend that they are recommended for purchases, and read our review "Where and how to buy souvenirs in Tunisia".
Alcohol in the country is sold only in GENERALE stores. In El Cantaui, there is such a store, it is at the entrance to the port. Do not forget that it does not work on Fridays – Sacred Day in Islam. In the holy month Ramadan shop is closed.
Restaurants and cafes are located along the entire main road of the resort, but especially many of them in the port zone. The most expensive restaurant is called Le Mediterranee (with FR.: Mediterranean), here are preparing dishes of their author’s cuisine, the simplest portion of Makaron is worth 18 dinars.
Another interesting restaurant is La Neptune (in the photo above), it is located inside the ship model right in the port. Near the entrance is a figurine of a pirate with which tourists love to be photographed. According to tourists reviews, good establishments are La Daurade and Les Emirs.
Local entertainment
All relevant attractions are available on the beaches: water skiing, paragliding, rental of boats and catamarans and the like. On these entertainment, we will not stop in detail.
Separate entertainment is a campaign at local stores. Here Tunisians exhibit figures cooked from metal parts that have worked out. One shopping center put in the yard of the aircraft hull. Very interesting, see a small photo gallery below.
Yachts moored here – from ordinary to chic. You can just stroll through the marins, look at beautiful yachts.
In the cafe in the port always many people. In the photo on the right (click to enlarge) an advertising stand of one of the cafe, it says: "Welcome home, alcohol only here". And indeed, in this cafe sell beer and wine. Such exclusive sellers of alcohol in the port are somewhat, no matter how funny it sounds.
Beer is expensive – 3-4 dinars for a bottle of 0.3 liters. Even if you arrived not on AI, it’s easier to buy beer in Magazin Generale and drink in the hotel.
Gunnibal Park
It is very easy to find it, focus on two high attractions towers, they can be seen from any hotel.
Hannibal Park is one of the best in Tunisia, there are many attractions here – from very nursing to extreme. Payment is paid for the trip, and not for the entrance, as in most other amusement parks in Tunisia.
Moderate prices, ride even on the most expensive attraction costs – 8 dinars. An important point – the park begins to work only after lunch – approximately from 16:00. It makes no sense in the morning.
Read more about all attractions, prices and hours read in our review. "Gunnibal Park".
Aquapark Acqua Palace
Small water park, if compared with the neighboring Aquaspalsh. In Acqua Palace, only 6 large slides, one of which is a record in Tunisia – 150 meters long and 17 meters in height.
In addition to the slides, there is a "lazy river" and a pool with artificial waves, also recorded in Tunisia – 2000 square meters.
The great advantage of the ACQUA Palace Water Park is that it is not tied to hotels, and the problems of overloading here are no sharp. At least on weekdays, even in the peak of the season here is relatively free.
The water park is opposite the Gunnibal Park, through the intersection. Login – 35 dinars. Read the details in our big review. "Aquapark Acqua Palace".
Music fountains
Located opposite the entrance to the port, stylized under the door of the medina. View show free.
Fountains are small, the height of water jets does not exceed 5 meters. The spectacle is not impressive, but the pacifying. Here more attention was paid to beautiful music than the enchantment of the show.
Around the fountains there are several cafes where you can combine viewing show with dinner from traditional Tunisian cuisine. Or watch fountains under a cup of strong coffee.
Fountains work several times after sunset. Schedule and advice on where it is better to watch the view, read in our detailed review "El Kantaui Fountains".
Hard Rock Cafe
In El Cantaui is the only Hard Rock Cafe in Tunisia. The range of dishes here is familiar here, and in the bar there are foreign sturdy alcohol.
Evenings arrange concerts of live music, Lady`s Night and other events. Cafe has a traditional gift of souvenir products Hard Rock.
As in any Hard Rock Cafe, all the walls here are a kind of museum, the walls are hung with celebrity things.
Opening hours, schedule of concerts, prices and photos See in our review "Hard Rock Cafe in El Cantaui".
Golf
Port of El Cantaui is considered the "golf capital" of Tunisia. Here are two fields of 18 holes, the PGA series tournament is held on one of them.
Many Russian tourists admit that they dream of at least once play golf. Vacation in El Cantaui gives such an opportunity. Hike on the field and equipment rental will cost about $ 100.
Almost any hotel near the receptionist can find the contacts of agents who can be purchased by this service. Just look carefully and find.
It is convenient that golphic fields are here – on the second hotel line from the sea, it’s not necessary to go far. There are even a few hotels in El Cantaui, where the game of golf is included in the price.
Medina Sousse with all the main attractions of the city is just 10 kilometers from the port, 10-15 kilometers from hotels. Can be reached by taxi for 8-12 dinars or on a minibus for 1 dinar.
Good to know
– If you want to see the sights of Monastir and Mahdia, it can be easily reached in Sousse and take a Metro Sahel train. To Monastir for 30 minutes and 1 dinar, to Mahdia 1.5 hours and 3 dinars. Details in our article "Metro Sahel";
– If you decide to see the capital, it is convenient to get to the soussia and then by train. Details in our article "From the Sousse to the capital and back";
– If you need cheap internet and calls home, then you optimally buy a Tunisian SIM card. However, in El Cantaui there are no sales salons of telecom operators. Have to go to Sousse. Tell the driver phrase "Orel Sim". What are the prices of Tunisian operators, read in our articles "Internet in Tunisia", "How to call from Tunisia" and "SIM-card OODEO in Tunisia".
Good entertainment in Tunisia, and read our interesting articles on holiday in this country (Links below).
