Wellness retreats: thalasso, hammam, repeat

A medical wellness discipline using heated, mineral-rich Mediterranean seawater for treatments — hydromassage, seaweed wraps, jet showers, marine mud, swimming under-water-jets in heated pools. Tunisia's coastal centres pump the water directly from the sea, filter and heat it, then use it without dilution. The science is real: thalasso is recognised in France and Tunisia as a treatment for stress, joint pain, sleep disorders, post-natal recovery and post-cancer rehabilitation. Most travellers book it as a luxury wellness break — a 5-day 'cure' is the classic format.

Don't leave Tunisia without going to a hammam. Two options: Luxury hotel hammam: clean, predictable, English/French-speaking attendants, full ritual (steam, scrub, massage) for €40–€90. Easy first experience. Traditional public hammam: in every neighbourhood. Around 5 TND for entry; tip the masseuse 10–20 TND for the famous black-soap scrub. Genuinely transformative, very local, no English. Bring flip-flops, swimwear, your own toiletries. Worth a Google for the nearest one to your hotel. The medinas of Tunis (Hammam El Kachachine), Sousse and Sfax all have beautifully restored historic hammams open to visitors.