The dunes near El Faouar are impressive. El Faouar is one of the villages partly buried in sand between the sand desert and the salt desert, and it has small oases. This gives you several features to take in at once: the dunes, the location between two desert landscapes and the oases. This very contrast defines Faouar’s landscape. To put the surroundings into perspective, you can consider the small oases in the context of the wider sand and salt region.
El Faouar lies about 40 kilometres west of Douz. Of the settlements compared in the region, it is the furthest from Douz. This two-part orientation—west of Douz and the furthest away among the places compared—helps you understand Faouar’s position within the region.
The Ghrib and regional routes
In El Faouar, the Ghrib have partly preserved their traditional way of life. This adds a cultural perspective to the landscape. If you are interested in local ways of life as well as dunes and oases, this tradition is one of the defining themes of Faouar.
In the wider travel region of Kebili, this perspective extends into a broader landscape of movement. The Mrazig roamed nomadically southeast of Douz. The Adhara, based in Zaafrane, and the Ghrib, based in El Faouar and Sabria, used the area southwest of Douz as a transit route. This wider scale is important for understanding El Faouar culturally: the Ghrib are part of more than just a local setting; they belong to a described area of movement that also includes the southwest of Douz.
Chott El Jerid in the Kebili travel region
The wider destination of Kebili is also home to Chott El Jerid, an extensive salt depression between the Cherb mountain range to the north and the desert to the south. To the east, the chott is connected to Chott Fejaj. This provides a different landscape scale in the wider Kebili context from Faouar’s dunes and small oases: the focus is on the salt depression and its position between the mountain range and the desert. Salt is extracted from the chott near the crossroad.
Land sailing and speed sailing are possible across vast areas such as Chott El Jerid. In winter, thousands of pink flamingos can be spotted there. The wider travel region of Kebili thus offers both activities centred on movement and a seasonal wildlife observation—two different reasons to explore the landscape of Chott El Jerid.
Douz in the regional context
Douz also forms part of the cultural context of the wider travel region of Kebili: the Festival of the Sahara is held there regularly, in the Governorate of KĂ©bili. The 56th edition took place in 2024 and the 57th in 2025. This gives you a contrast in understanding the region between the enduring landscape of the chott and a recurring event.
Discover more destinations: El Faouar, Kebili South.
Return to the main travel overview: Kebili.
