Excursion aboard the train “Red Lizard” in the gorges of Selja.
From Metlaoui station, aboard train “Red Lizard” in the gorges of Selja …
The departure of your trip “Red Lizard and mountain oasis” will start with pick-up at 8am on your place of residence. You will join, in comfortable tourist 4×4, the city of Metlaoui. It is from the station of this city that is done the departure of the train “Red Lizard”. The main mining town of Tunisia owes its development to the discovery, in 1885 under the French protectorate, of the first phosphate field by Philippe Thomas. The city is a railway junction for trains carrying phosphate and the starting point of the circuit made by the tourist train “Red Lizard” that you will take for a ride in the gorges of Selja. Selja’s Gorges consist of a deep valley several kilometers long, where flows the river of the same name. The winding wadi bed Selja is framed by steep cliffs with a height of several dozen meters. The gorges are a privileged passage to the phosphate mines of Metlaoui area. A railway track is built by the Phosphate Company and Railway Sfax-Gafsa in 1896 to serve the movement of trains evacuating phosphate. Gorges of Selja are famous because of the tourist attraction, represented by these unique natural landscapes in Tunisia. Several stops of the “Red Lizard” train allow to fully enjoy the landscape beauty. The round trip lasts 1h45. However, to continue the trip to the mountain oases, 4×4 will be waiting at the end of the trip go, by Kefeddour mining station.
… to the mountain oases of Jebel En-Negueb
You will reach the oasis of Mides and its deep canyons of several tens of meters, dug by water erosion. The site, located near the Tunisian-Algerian border, served as backdrops for filming some scenes of the movies The English Patient and Fort Saganne.
Lunch will be served at the oasis of Tamerza, about ten kilometers far away.
Not far from the oasis, which the green patch contrast with the surrounding mineral decoration, stand the ruins of the ancient village. Built on the banks of the Oued El Horchane, it was abandoned in 1969 following severe flooding. The tour continues with a walk to the foot of the waterfalls of Tamerza.
On the way back towards Tozeur, the oasis of Chebika will be an opportunity to a walking tour to discover the springs flowing from the mountain. The bravest will have a walk in the Jebel before descending to the resurgence point; others will follow the course of the oued and the irrigation channels of the palmgrove.
Return to your hotel in Tozeur will be in late afternoon.
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Price list:
Price valid from 01/11/2023 to 31/10/2024
Guaranteed departure from 2 participants; ability to group the departures on demand.
Price is per person, and in euros (€)
– based on 4 participants and more = 94 €/person
– based on 3 participants …………..= 112 €/person. Contact us for booking.
– based on 2 participants …………..= 159 €/person. Contact us for booking.
Reduce rate for children under 12 years old : contact us for a customized quote.
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