Ichkeul
Tunisia · Bizerte · 20 m
Description
Lake Ichkeul (إشكل) is the last of a chain of lakes that once ran across North Africa and the reason it still matters is salt. A channel connects it to the sea, so the water turns brackish in summer and fresh again with the winter rain, and the pondweed that grows on that cycle feeds several hundred thousand ducks, geese and coot every winter. A limestone hill rises straight out of the marsh with a path to a viewpoint and a small museum on its slope. Water buffalo graze the wet pasture. UNESCO listed the wetland in 1980.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 day
Travel season
Best time to visit: November – February
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Lake Ichkeul and its marshes (UNESCO World Heritage)
- Wintering ducks, geese and coot in their hundreds of thousands (November - February)
- Path up Jebel Ichkeul to the viewpoint
- Eco-museum on the slope of the mountain
- Water buffalo on the marsh pasture
- Greater flamingo and the wading birds
- Hot spring at the foot of the hill
- Tinja channel and the fishing boats
- Bizerte lake and the salt marshes(Day trip)