Port El Kantaoui
Encyclopedia
Port El Kantaoui is a tourist
complex 10 kilometres north of Sousse
in central Tunisia
. It was built in 1979 specifically as a tourist centre, around a large artificial harbor which provides mooring with 340 berths for luxury yachts, hosting sporting activities from water skiing to paragliding, and several golf courses. The 36-hole PGA
approved championship course makes Port El Kantaoui a popular destination for golfing.
The architecture, although modern and dazzlingly white, has been modelled on the more traditional buildings in Tunisia, complete with narrow streets and arches. The hotels that line the beachfront extend from Sousse
itself along miles of sparkling clean sea to the harbour of Port El Kantaoui and to the north of the harbour.
In style, the port area Port El Kantaoui is designed as a white and blue Tunisian style village with reproduced medina
and cobblestone streets. It is popular with package holiday
visitors, families and first time visitors, however its extensive landscaping and detachment from the true Tunisia brings critics; most notably the Rough Guide has described Port El Kantaoui as "Tunisia without tears ... artificial, soulless, even anaemic".
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
complex 10 kilometres north of Sousse
Sousse
Sousse is a city in Tunisia. Located 140 km south of the capital Tunis, the city has 173,047 inhabitants . Sousse is in the central-east of the country, on the Gulf of Hammamet, which is a part of the Mediterranean Sea. The name may be of Berber origin: similar names are found in Libya and in...
in central Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. It was built in 1979 specifically as a tourist centre, around a large artificial harbor which provides mooring with 340 berths for luxury yachts, hosting sporting activities from water skiing to paragliding, and several golf courses. The 36-hole PGA
Professional Golfers Association
Professional Golfers' Association, , is the usual term for a professional association in men's golf. It is often abbreviated to PGA...
approved championship course makes Port El Kantaoui a popular destination for golfing.
The architecture, although modern and dazzlingly white, has been modelled on the more traditional buildings in Tunisia, complete with narrow streets and arches. The hotels that line the beachfront extend from Sousse
Sousse
Sousse is a city in Tunisia. Located 140 km south of the capital Tunis, the city has 173,047 inhabitants . Sousse is in the central-east of the country, on the Gulf of Hammamet, which is a part of the Mediterranean Sea. The name may be of Berber origin: similar names are found in Libya and in...
itself along miles of sparkling clean sea to the harbour of Port El Kantaoui and to the north of the harbour.
In style, the port area Port El Kantaoui is designed as a white and blue Tunisian style village with reproduced medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
and cobblestone streets. It is popular with package holiday
Package holiday
A package holiday or package tour consists of transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided like a rental car, activities or outings during the holiday. Transport can be via charter airline to a foreign country...
visitors, families and first time visitors, however its extensive landscaping and detachment from the true Tunisia brings critics; most notably the Rough Guide has described Port El Kantaoui as "Tunisia without tears ... artificial, soulless, even anaemic".