Tunisia's third-largest city, Sousse lies 8km (5 miles) south of Port El Kantaoui and could not be more different. It is packed with atmosphere and hundreds of years of history. Very much a working city, it has a thriving port and busy fishing harbor which is best viewed early in the morning when the previous night's catch is being unloaded from a flotilla of small boats.
Still emerging as a holiday center, a string of hotels has been built fronting the city's elegant corniche. Sousse was one of the Phoenicians' great coastal cities but it fell to Arab invaders in the seventh century. In AD 790, the foundations of a new city were laid and several remnants of that time still remain, including the Great Mosque and its Ribat - one of a chain of fortresses which stretched along the Mediterranean coast. Both are located within Sousse's bustling medina where a cluster of souks sell everything from food and clothes to perfume and jewelry.
The Kasbah Museum houses an impressive collection of third- and fourth-century mosaics. It also offers commanding views over the city.