Sousse is a city that has been busy for nearly three thousand years, under the Phoenicians, the Romans and the Arabs, and its old town, the medina, still has the crowded, enclosed feel of a place built behind walls. It stands on the Tunisian coast, in the region called the Sahel, a belt of olive groves and white towns between the sea and the dry interior. Sousse was Hadrumetum in Roman times, and later became an important port, and it was ringed by walls in the ninth century, parts of which still stand.
The medina is a World Heritage site, and a good walk takes in its highlights. The Ribat, a fortified monastery built in the late eighth century, has a tall watchtower that gives a sweeping view over the rooftops and the harbour, and the Great Mosque, from the ninth century, is plain and austere, like a fortress for the faith. In between, the souks sell leather, brass, spices and sponges, and the shopkeepers will invite you to tea. Early morning is the best time, when the alleys are quiet and the light falls at an angle onto the whitewashed walls.
The riding in the Sahel is flat, open and sunny, with olive groves in all directions. The coastal road is fast and busy, and traffic in Sousse itself is chaotic, with mopeds, taxis and horse carts. Heading south, the road leads to El Jem, about forty kilometres away, where one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world rises from a small town. In summer, the heat is fierce, and the best seasons are spring and autumn, when the temperature is pleasant and the olive harvest begins.
Fuel is easy to find in Sousse and Hammam Sousse, and there are plenty of cafes and restaurants. Try brik, a thin pastry filled with egg and tuna, and lablabi, a spicy chickpea soup eaten for breakfast, and finish with mint tea and a pastry. Leave the bike in a secure car park outside the medina walls and explore on foot, as the lanes are too narrow for anything wider than a donkey.