This fertile peninsula stretches out into the Mediterranean to the north-east of Tunis. Geologists speculate that it once stretched all the way to Sicily, providing a land link to Europe that sank beneath the sea some 30,000 years ago. Today, Cap Bon - particularly the south-eastern beaches around Hammamet and Nabeul - is Tunisia's primary destination for package tourists.A summer's stroll down the streets of Hammamet is likely to turn up 10 tourists to every local, and the pace never slackens except briefly during the middle of winter. Its location is a big draw, at the northern end of the Gulf of Hammamet, while its old medina overlooking a great expanse of sandy beach is certainly another. It's also a lively town, brimming with discos, restaurants and colourful shops - everything a holiday-maker could want. Except, perhaps, seclusion.The biggest difference between Hammamet and its neighbour, Nabeul, is that the latter also has a range of budget accommodation, including the best organised camping area in the country. Nabeul's Friday market is one of the liveliest in Tunisia, though not for any surplus of bargains or quality merchandise.By the time you get to Kelibia, you've left the worst of commercial tourism blissfully behind. What you'll find instead is a small town that survives mainly on its fishing fleet, with a few small, sheltered resorts and beaches and a fabulous 6th century fort that overlooks the harbour.Halfway in between Kelibia and El-Haouaria is the relatively unheralded Carthaginian site of Kerkouane, a town founded in the 6th century BC that existed for less than 300 years before Roman forces destroyed it. It was excavated in 1962, and a museum houses some interesting finds, such as the 'Princess of Kerkouane,' a wooden sarcophagus cover carved in the shape of the goddess Astarte.The small town of El-Haouaria is tucked beneath the mountainous tip of Cap Bon. It's a quiet spot with a couple of good beaches - especially at Ras el-Drek - but the main attractions are the Roman Caves on the coast, 3km (2mi) west of town. Much of the stone used for building Carthage was cut from this remarkable complex of yellow sandstone caves - the quarriers discovered that the quality of stone was much better at the base of the cliffs than on the surface, so they chose to tunnel into the cliffs rather than cut them down. After almost 1000 years of quarrying, the result is the caves we see today.

Despite Carthage's fascinating history and the position of dominance it held it the ancient world, the Romans did such a thorough job demolishing it that the ruins today are something of a disappointment. Most of what remains is of Roman origin. There are six main sights, and the hassle for visitors is that they're spread out over a wide area. To overcome this, hop on the TGM (light rail) line that runs through the middle of the area, but be forewarned: it'll still require a fair amount of hoofing it.The best place to start is Byrsa Hill, which dominates the area and gives a good view of the whole site from its peak. At its base is the Cathedral of St Louis, visible for miles around ... and an eyesore of massive proportions. It was built by the French in 1890 and dedicated to the 13th century saint-king who died on the shores of Carthage in 1270 during the ill-fated 8th Crusade. Though it was deconsecrated and closed for years, its has now been restored and is open to the public. The National Museum is the large white building at the back of the cathedral, and its recently revamped displays are well worth a look. The Punic displays upstairs are especially good.The Roman amphitheatre on the west side of the Byrsa, a 15-minute walk from the museum, is said to have been one of the largest in the Empire, though little of its grandeur remains today. Most of its stones were pinched for other building projects in later centuries. The collection of huge cisterns north-east of the amphitheatre were the main water supply for Carthage during the Roman era - they're now ruined and hardly worth the scramble through prickly pear cactus.The Antonine Baths are right down on the waterfront and are impressive more for their size and location than for anything else. The Magon Quarter is another archaeological park near the water, a few blocks south of the baths. Recent excavations have revealed an interesting residential area.The Sanctuary of Tophet created a great deal of excitement when it was first excavated in 1921 and has gone on to elicit a fair amount of 'excited' prose since then. The Tophet was a sacrificial site with an associated burial ground, where the children of Carthaginian nobles were killed and roasted to appease the deities Baal Hammon and Tanit. The site itself is not so thrilling today - it's little more than a patch of overgrown weeds with a few excavated pits.

The Roman ruins at Dougga, 105km (65mi) south-west of Tunis, rate as the most spectacular and best preserved in the country. They occupy a commanding position on the edge of the Tebersouk Mountains, overlooking the fertile wheat-growing valley of the Oued Kalled. The site was occupied until the early 1950s, when the residents were moved to help preserve the ruins.There's a lot to see at Dougga, and unless you're operating on a super-tight budget it's best to hire a licensed guide. The first monument you'll see is the 3500-seat theatre, which was built into the hillside in 188 AD by one of the city's wealthy residents. It has been extensively renovated and makes a spectacular setting for floodlit performances of classical drama during the Dougga Festival in July and August. Just past the theatre, a track leads to the Temple of Saturn, erected on the site of an earlier temple to Baal Hammon. South-west of the theatre, a winding street leads down to the Square of the Winds, where the paving is laid out like an enormous compass and lists the names of the 12 winds. Another temple borders the square to the north, while the market and capitol lie to the south and west, respectively.The capitol is a remarkable monument - one of the finest in Tunisia - that was raised in 166 AD. Six enormous, fluted columns support the portico, which is some 8m (25ft) above the ground. The frieze has an unusually unweathered carving depicting the emperor Antonius Pius being carried off in an eagle's claws. Inside was an enormous statue of Jupiter, fragments of which are now in the Bardo Museum in Tunis. Nearby, the House of Dionysus & Ulysses was once a sumptuous residence; in it was found the mosaic of Ulysses mesmerized by the sirens that now resides in the Bardo.

There are few sights in Tunisia more arresting than El-Jem, the well-preserved, ancient colosseum - almost as big as its counterpart in Rome - that dwarfs the matchbox buildings of the modern town. Built on a plateau halfway between Sousse and Sfax, some 210km (130mi) south of Tunis, El-Jem can be seen from miles around, completely dominating the area.The colosseum, believed to have been built between 230 and 238 AD, has been used as a defensive position many times in its history. It suffered badly in the 17th century, when the troops of Mohammed Bey blasted a hole in the western wall to flush out local tribesmen who had rebelled against taxation demands. The breach was further widened during an 1850 rebellion, but thankfully the modern emphasis is on preservation and the site is part of the UN's World Heritage List.Its seating capacity has been estimated at 30,000 (considerably more than the population of the town itself), making it one of the most impressive Roman monuments in Africa. You can still climb up to the top tiers of seating and gaze down on the arena. It's also possible to explore the two long underground passageways that once held the animals, gladiators and other unfortunates destined for the arena.

Nowhere else in Tunisia is package tourism so totally over the top as it is in the small village of Matmata, 400km (250mi) south of Tunis on the south-eastern coast. The pit houses of this troglodyte settlement have proven irresistible fare for the tour buses, who arrive at 9am like a tidal wave and don't leave until the late afternoon. They are soon replaced by 4WD groups who use the town as an overnight stop on their desert safaris. Needless to say, the residents are not thrilled with the deluge. It's not hard to understand why the buses keep coming. There's something almost surreal about the place, with its vaguely lunar landscape. No doubt this is why it was selected as the location for the desert scenes in the movie Star Wars. The Berbers of the area went underground more than a thousand years ago to escape the extreme heat of summer. Their homes are all nearly identical, with a courtyard dug about 6m (20ft) deep and the rooms tunnelled out from the sides. The larger houses have two or three courtyards, and their entrances are usually through a narrow passage from the courtyard to the surface.If you want to see Matmata by yourself (there are guides available), your best bet is to visit the hotels. Arrive in the late afternoon, after the tour buses have left, and go for a walk out beyond the Hôtel Ksar Amazigh. There are good views back over Matmata and north to the valley of the Oued Barrak. Back in town, slake your thirst with a cold one at the Hôtel Sidi Driss' bar (famous as the 'cantina' in Star Wars), then have a quick poke around the Hôtel les Berberes and the Hôtel Marhala, and you will have seen everything worth seeing in town.

Sidi Bou Saïd is a pretty little whitewashed village set high on a cliff above the Gulf of Tunis, about 10km (6mi) north-east of the capital. It's a delightful place for a stroll among narrow cobbled streets with old stone steps. Its gleaming walls are dotted with the ornate, curved window grills that are a local trademark, all painted the same deep blue, and colourful arched doorways that open onto courtyards dappled with geraniums and bougainvillea. You can be forgiven if you begin to think you've stumbled onto a little Greek island.The hub of activity in town is the small, cobbled main square, Place Sidi Bou Saïd, which is lined with cafes, sweet stalls and souvenir shops. The lighthouse above the village stands on the site of a 9th century fort. There's a small, relatively uncrowded beach nearby.

Sousse is Tunisia's third-largest city and a major port. It's also the most popular tourist destination in the country - the long beach stretching north of town to the purpose-built tourist enclave of Port el-Kantaoui is the main drawcard. However, Sousse has more going for it than the string of resort hotels that line its beach. The old walled medina holds most of the city's attractions. The walls themselves are an impressive sight, stretching 2.25km (1.4mi) at a height of 8m (26ft) and fortified with a series of solid square turrets. The ribat, a small square fort, was built in the final years of the 8th century AD and features a round watchtower that can be climbed for excellent views over the city. The rather austere Great Mosque, with its turrets and crenellated wall, looks more like a fort than a mosque. The Sousse Museum, occupying the kasbah at the south-western corner of the medina, has some of the most beautiful mosaics in the country.

Tozeur is one of the most popular travellers' stops in Tunisia, and has been so since Capsian times (from 8000 BC). Its principal attractions are a labyrinthine old town, a spectacular museum and its enormous palmeraie (palm forest) on the northern edge of the Chott el-Jerid. Some 435km (270mi) south-west of Tunis, just getting there is half the thrill: the road from Kebili crosses the chott (dried salt marsh) by causeway.The city's delightful old quarter, Ouled el-Hadef, was built in the 14th century AD to house the El-Hadef clan, who had grown rich on the proceeds of the caravan trade. The area is a maze of narrow, covered alleys and small squares, and is famous for its traditional brickmaking methods. There's a small but notable archaeology museum here that's worth a peek.Apart from Tunis' Bardo, the Dar Charait Museum is the only museum in the country worth going out of your way to see. It has an extensive collection of pottery and antiques, as well as an art gallery, but its star features are the rooms set up as replicas of Tunisian life, past and present. They include the bedroom of the last bey, a palace scene, a hammam and a Bedouin tent. The museum attendants, dressed as servants of the bey, set the tone.Tozeur's palmeraie is the second largest in the country, with around 200,000 palm trees spread over an area of more than 10 sq km (4 sq mi). It's a classic example of tiered oasis agriculture and is watered by over 200 springs producing more than 60 million litres of water per day. The best way to explore the palmeraie is on foot or by bicycle, which you can rent at the entrance.

Compared with most mega-cities elsewhere in the world, Tunis comes across as little more than a large country town. The city centre is compact and easy to navigate, with almost everything important to travellers within the medina and the compact ville nouvelle.The medina is the historical and cultural heart of modern Tunis and a great place to get a feel for life in the city. Built during the 7th century AD, it lost its status as Tunis Central when the French took over and raised their ville nouvelle around the turn of the 20th century. One of the oldest of the medina's sights, the Zitouna Mosque was rebuilt in the 9th century on the site of the original 7th century structure. Its builders recycled 200 columns from the ruins of Roman Carthage for the central prayer hall. Modestly dressed non-Muslims are allowed in as far as the courtyard. Your nose will help you translate the name of the nearby Souq el-Attarine - the Perfume Makers' Souq - where the shops are full of aromatic oils and spices. To the west, the Mosque of Youssef Dey was the first Ottoman-style mosque to be built in Tunis (1616). The nearby Souq el-Berka is where slaves were sold by Muslim corsairs.Also in the medina, the Tourbet el-Bey is a huge mausoleum that houses the remains of many Husseinite beys, princesses, ministers and advisors - the caretaker is a keen tour-giver. Not far off, the Dar Ben Abdallah Museum houses the Centre for Popular Arts & Traditions, where the exhibits seem almost lacklustre when seen against the building's majestic backdrop. Also in the area is the Dar el-Haddad, one of the medina's oldest dwellings. The medina was added to the UN's World Heritage List in 1981.The streets of the ville nouvelle are lined with old French buildings replete with wrought-iron railings and louvred windows, lending it a very European feel that's heightened by a number of sidewalk cafés and patisseries. After ogling the colonial architecture, don't skip a visit to the Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul. Incorporated in its design are an extraordinarily bizarre collection of clashing styles - Gothic, Byzantine, North African.One not-to-be-missed sight outside of central Tunis is the Bardo Museum, housed in the former Bardo Palace, official residence of the Husseinite beys. Inside, the collection is broken down into sections that cover the Carthaginian, Roman, early Christian and Arab-Islamic eras. The Roman collection contains one of the finest collection of Roman mosaics and statuary anywhere. The museum is located about 4km (2mi) west of the city centre, an easy taxi or tram ride.