Two stops up the TGM line from Sidi Bou Said, La Marsa is where Tunis actually goes to the beach. It was the summer residence of the beys, then of the French, and it has kept the easy seaside-suburb feel: a long sandy corniche, palm trees, ice cream, and a promenade that fills every evening from May onwards.
If Sidi Bou Said is the photograph, La Marsa is the swim — and it is five minutes and a few hundred millimes away.
- Area: Half-day trips nearby
- The corniche and beach
- Café Saf-Saf
- Sunset promenade
Top things to do at La Marsa
Swim and walk the corniche
A wide sandy beach with a paved promenade behind it. Busy in July and August, near-empty and rather beautiful in April and October.
Café Saf-Saf
A famous old café built around a 13th-century Ottoman-era well with a working waterwheel, in the square behind the beach. Worth it for the setting and a plate of grilled merguez.
Eat a bambalouni at sunset
The corniche stands fry them to order. Warm, sugary, and the single most Tunisian thing you can do on a summer evening.
Carry on to Gammarth
The coast road continues north to Gammarth, where the big beach resorts and the best fish restaurants are. Ten minutes by taxi from La Marsa.
How to get to La Marsa
- TGM: two stops north from Sidi Bou Said to La Marsa Plage, the end of the line. Around five minutes.
- On foot it is roughly 40 minutes along the coast road — pleasant out of high summer.
Insider tips
- The TGM runs from early morning until around midnight, so an evening swim and dinner is an easy plan.
- Beachwear on the beach, ordinary clothes on the corniche — La Marsa is relaxed but it is not a resort strip.
- Weekends in July and August are extremely busy; a weekday morning is a different experience.
- Combine it with Sidi Bou Said as a single half day: village in the morning, beach in the afternoon.
La Marsa FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Where is the nearest good beach to Sidi Bou Said?
La Marsa, two TGM stops north, has the nearest long sandy beach. Gammarth, a little further up the coast, has the resort beaches and the best seafood restaurants.
How long does the TGM take from Sidi Bou Said to La Marsa?
About five minutes for two stops, with trains running frequently through the day and into the evening.
Can I combine Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa in one day?
Easily. The classic plan is the village and its cafés in the morning, lunch at the marina or in La Marsa, and the beach and corniche in the afternoon.
