From Bir Bou-Rekba to Nabeul, 11 M., branch-line in about ¾ hr. (1 fr. 90, 1 fr. 45 c., 1 fr.). The only intermediate station is (2½ M.) Hammamet (82 ft.; Hôt. de la Plage, on the shore, R. 2 fr., B. 60 c., déj. or D. 2, pens. 5–6 fr., quite good; pop. 6000, incl. 200 Europeans; Wed. market), most picturesquely situated on a small headland, ¼ hr. to the S. of the station. The ramparts of the ruinous Kasba (now partly a Poste Optique) afford a charming view of the bay as far as Hergla (p. [365]). Pretty bathing-beach. The coast between Hammamet and Nabeul has unfortunately been entirely denuded of wood, but the climate in winter is the mildest and healthiest in Tunisia next to that of Djerba (p. [393]). The lemons, mandarins, oranges, and other fruits are considered the best in the land. The finest *Fruit Gardens, some of them shaded by groups of old cypresses, lie to the W., in the direction of the ruins of Pupput, now called Souk el-Abiod, and also on the Nabeul road.—Beyond Hammamet the train crosses numerous torrents.
11 M. Nabeul (43 ft.; Hôt. de France, R., déj., D. 2½ fr. each, omn. ½ fr., good; Hôt. des Voyageurs; carr. to Hammamet 5–6 fr.; pop. 11,900, incl. 2000 Jews and 400 Europeans; Frid. market), with its small Souks (p. [335]) and pretty gardens, is the chief town on this part of the coast. Its famed old pottery is again thriving. Fayence with geometrical patterns, after Punic and late-Roman models, and porous, unglazed water-jugs (gargoulettes) are the chief products. The small Poterie Artistique (Tissier’s), behind the church, is worth seeing. Pleasant walks are to the N.E. to (20 min.) Dar-Chabane, a purely Moslem village; to the S. to the small anchorage near the kubba Sidi Slîmân, or to the ruins of Neapolis, now largely submerged; a little seaport destroyed at the same time as Carthage (146 B.C.), to which Nabeul owes its name and much of its building-material; to the E. to (3¾ M.) El-Mamoura, near the caverns in the Râs Mamoura, the N.E. boundary of the bay of Hammamet; to the N. to the (½ hr.) Râs Tefal, where the potters dig their clay.
The Susa Train turns to the S.E., quitting the highroad, on which, beyond Pupput (see above), is the so-called Kasr Menara, a large Roman circular building resembling the tomb of Cæcilia Metella, the only monument of the kind in Barbary. We approach the spurs of the Sahara Atlas. All around is scanty underwood, with occasional tents of nomads and many pasturing cattle. To the left we have a glimpse of the N. coast of the bay as far as Nabeul (see above). To the W. towers Jebel Zaghouan (p. [359]).
Beyond the Oued er-Rebia, at (49 M.) Bou-Ficha, begins the Enfida, an estate of 300,000 acres owned by the Société Franco-Africaine, the ancient granary of central Tunisia, but a wilderness for centuries after the irruption of the Beni Hilal (p. [323]). Among the farm-labourers are many Sicilians. There are still, however, great desolate tracts, dotted with Roman ruins and old irrigation-works, inhabited only by the nomadic Oulad Saïd, descendants of the Hilalides.
54½ M. Aïn-Hallouf, near the ruins of Aphrodisium, now Sidi Khalifa and Henchir Fradiz, close to the salt-marshes of the Sebkha Djiriba, which are 19 M. long.
62 M. Enfidaville (131 ft.; Rail. Restaurant; Hôt. d’Enfidaville, déj. 2½ fr., well spoken of; pop. 6700, incl. 500 Europeans), a rising town of colonists, the largest in the Enfida, is a pretty oasis of trees and vegetable-gardens. Alfa (p. [171]) is largely exported. Near the station is a village of nomad-tents.
Above the Zaghouan road (p. [359]), about 4 M. to the W. of Enfidaville, on Jebel Takroun (657 ft.), is perched the interesting Berber village of Takrouna (pop. about 500), not easily accessible.—In the valley of the Oued Boul, 7½ M. to the W. of Enfidaville, on Jebel Garci, rises the chalybeate spring of Aïn-Garci, on the site of the Roman Aggersel.—Some 9½ M. to the S.E. of Enfidaville lies Hergla (reached also by a branch of the road from Sidi Bou-Ali; see p. [366]), the ancient Horrea Caelia, the corn-mart and export-harbour of the Enfida.
The steppe-like character of the landscape again asserts itself. Wild asparagus abounds. To the right in the distance are the bare hills of central Tunisia behind Kairwan (p. [372]). 71 M. Menzel Dar el-Bouar, not far from the Sebkha Halk el-Menzel. On the road, to the N.E. of the station, is an ancient Berber cemetery, with numerous dolmens (p. [324]), mostly ruined of late.
76½ M. Sidi Bou-Ali, a smiling oasis, with olive and fruit-trees and a few date-palms. We again traverse a stony hill-region, dotted with stunted olive-trees, and then descend into the thickly peopled Sahel (see below), with its many thriving little towns.
85 M. Kalaâ-Kebira (161 ft.; pop. 6500). To the left, farther on, we see the little town of Akouda, on a low hill; then the distant Hammam-Sousse in the valley of the Oued Laya.