Welcome, Motoexplora rider friends! Today we take you on an experience that combines a rush of adrenaline, a dive into history and a view you will never forget: we are talking about the Rommel Track, in Tunisia. Get your bikes ready, fire up your adventurous spirits and let your wheels carry you through canyons, plateaus and concrete slabs suspended over impossible views.
1. Where it is and why it is special
The Rommel Track winds through south-central Tunisia, among non-touristy areas and wild landscapes. This route is not just an off-road track, but a real “path of memory”: in fact it takes its name from Erwin Rommel, the famous Axis general known as the “Desert Fox”.
In many travel accounts the route is described as “a mule track that becomes tarmac, defying altitude, with a view over the desert”.
For us at Motoexplora it is one of those stretches we had been looking forward to for a long time: not only for the riding, but to live a genuine setting, away from the most beaten circuits.
2. The “Motoexplora” style of travel
When we tackle a route like this we do so with three principles: a spirit of adventure, respect for the land, and the wish to tell the story from the saddle.
- Spirit of adventure: the Rommel Track is not a motorway for touring bikes. There are broken stretches, concrete slabs with potholes, steep climbs and descents along sheer drops. One example: “the first time I rode these roads…”, as one biker recalls.
- Respect for the land: we are in Tunisia, a land of ancient silences, rocks and desert. Riding this track also means listening, stopping, breathing in the landscape.
- Telling the story on the bike: because arriving is not enough. You have to live every bend, stop at the edge of the drop, look at the salt lake, take photos at sunset, feel the sand in the wind.
3. The route: emotions and landscapes
Imagine setting off from Redeyef (or arriving from a parallel paved road) and turning onto this legendary track. Here are some highlights:
- A demanding start: you tackle a descent, sometimes on a mule track, with a breathtaking view. “A ravine on the right,” one traveller recalls.
- The view over the Chott El Jerid: one of the “wow” moments of the ride. The salt lake creates a mirage effect, a white and silent desert.
- Concrete slabs and broken stretches: the original road was built in wartime, by units of the past, and now in some sections it is rather “rough”. You need to ride carefully.
- Arriving in the valley, emotion fulfilled: reaching Sagdoud, or anyway the end of the track, with your heart pounding and your bike covered in dust is an indelible memory.
4. Technical tips for riders
Since this is a Motoexplora trip, here are a few tips to enjoy it at its best:
- A suitable bike: an enduro or dual-sport, with good suspension and strong wheels. It is not an “easy” track.
- Navigation/GPS: some stretches are poorly signposted, and some even pass through dumps or isolated areas. A GPS with the track downloaded helps.
- Timing and light: it is better to ride it early in the morning, with the light illuminating the canyons, and not at sunset when visibility drops.
- Equipment: a full-face helmet is recommended, technical clothing, plenty of water (this is a semi-desert environment), a kit ready for punctures or small emergencies.
- Attitude: slow down where the surface is broken, use the clutch, relax and enjoy the scenery. Do not ride as if you were on a racetrack.
5. Why it is worth it
- It is a multi-sensory experience: of riding, landscape and history.
- No crowds: here we are beyond “mass” tours, in a genuine place.
- At the end of the trip you feel “adventure accomplished”: you have tackled a track with a legendary name, you have ridden where others do not always get to.
- And then there is history: knowing that this track was used during the Second World War by units of the Afrika Korps adds extra meaning.
6. Stories to share
Imagine the photo at the top of the rise, the bike parked, the sand rippling beyond the drop, and you looking far off towards the Chott. Or the laughter with your travel companion who closes the throttle after a breathtaking bend and tells you “I can’t believe we rode down that”. Or the dust getting into your goggles, the rust of the past surfacing in the abandoned mines along the way. All these are scenes that become stories to tell when you get home.
7. Conclusion: the Motoexplora way
So, if you are looking for a journey that goes beyond the usual tourist itinerary, if you want to fuel your urge to ride, discover a little-travelled piece of the world and bring home stories – not just photos – then the Rommel Track in Tunisia is for you. Lift the handlebars, feel the engine vibrate, let your wheels get dirty with sand and dust, and get ready to live that moment when “silence becomes a voice”. As one account says: “the view in front of us is one never to be forgotten”.
