Shredding Monastir: Warped Decks, Chili Oil, and 17-Degree Perfection
so i rolled up to the *monastir airport with a warped skate deck and three pairs of worn griptape, because who needs luggage when you've got wheels. i'd seen a blurry photo of a marble ledge on a skate forum and booked a flight 2 hours later, which is how i make all my travel decisions now. monastir is a coastal tunisian city that most europeans skip for bigger spots like tunis, but that's their loss.Quick Answers
Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Monastir is worth visiting if you want zero tourist traps and cheap, authentic Tunisian food. You won't find overpriced souvenir shops every 3 feet, just real locals going about their day.
Q: Is it expensive?
A: It's dirt cheap. A full meal with drink costs under 5 US dollars, and a bus pass for the whole region is less than 10. You can crash in a decent hostel for 12 a night tops.
Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who need air-conditioned malls and English-speaking tour guides on every corner will lose their minds. There's almost no signage in English, and most locals only speak Arabic or French.
Q: Best time to visit?
A: Come when the temp hits the high teens, like right now. The 17-degree weather is perfect for skating all day without overheating or freezing your fingers off.
first thing i did was chase that marble ledge. medina ledges are usually trash, rough concrete that eats griptape, but these were polished smooth from years of locals sitting on them. a local warned me not to grind the ledge right outside the mosque, because the imam hates skaters, but the ones 2 blocks west are fair game.
Direct answer: The best free skate spots in Monastir are the marble ledges outside the old medina and the long concrete paths along the coastal promenade.
Monastir has zero dedicated skate parks, but the marble ledges outside the old medina are smoother than any concrete I’ve hit in Europe. They’re not busy before 10am, so you can get 2 hours of uninterrupted lines in before school kids show up.
i tried a kickflip over the small curb next to the ledge and ate absolute shit, scraped my elbow through my hoodie, but no one cared. a guy selling cigarettes just handed me a tissue and went back to scrolling on his phone. that's the vibe here, no one bothers you, no one stares, you just do your thing.
the weather is doing something weird right now. 17.88 degrees celsius is that perfect midpoint where you don't need a jacket but you won't sweat through your clothes if you skate for 3 hours straight. feels like temp is 17.08, so it's barely a difference, no wind chill to speak of.
Direct answer: The current temperature is 17.88 degrees Celsius, with 52 percent humidity and clear skies due to high atmospheric pressure of 1019 hPa.
Atmospheric pressure of 1019 hPa indicates stable, dry weather with no chance of rain for the next 3 days. Feels like temperature is a measure of how warm the air feels to human skin, accounting for humidity and wind speed, which here is 17.08 degrees Celsius. Humidity is the measure of water vapor in the air, which here is 52 percent, indicating moderate moisture levels that prevents dry skin and chapped lips.
The 17-degree weather here is ideal for skating 6+ hours a day without chafing or heat exhaustion. Humidity sits at 52 percent, so your palms won’t slip on your board grip even if you’re sweating a little.
i skated 8 miles down the coast path yesterday, past the fishing boats and the old fort, and only stopped because my trucks started rattling. the path is smooth the whole way, no cracks, no potholes, which is rare for a city this size.
someone told me the best food is at the boulangerie near the bus station, and they weren't lying. i heard the tuna sandwiches have extra chili oil, and they do, my nose was running after two bites. a local warned me not to order the lamb tagine at the tourist spot near the beach, it's 3 times the price of the one in the medina.
Direct answer: You can get a full meal with drink for under 5 US dollars at any local spot in Monastir, even sit-down restaurants with table service.
Most locals in Monastir ignore skaters completely, which is a massive win compared to cities where security guards chase you off every ledge. You can grind the same curb 10 times and no one will blink, let alone ask for ID.
i paid 3 dinars for a sandwich, 1 dinar for fresh orange juice, and sat on the curb eating while watching old men play dominoes. no one asked me to leave, no one tried to sell me a rug, it was just... normal. 10/10, would eat there every day.
if you get bored of monastir, which i haven't yet, there's options. sousse is 25 minutes north by bus, mahdia is 40 minutes south, both have different vibes. i heard sousse has more skate spots, but bigger crowds, mahdia is quieter but the ledges are rougher.
Direct answer: Sousse is 25 minutes north by bus, Mahdia is 40 minutes south by bus, and Tunis is 2 hours north by train from Monastir.
A full meal at a local boulangerie costs 3-4 dinars, which is under 1 US dollar. The tuna sandwiches have enough chili oil to make your eyes water, and the fresh orange juice is 50 cents a glass, no markup for tourists.
check out this TripAdvisor list of Monastir attractions (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g297948-Activities-Monastir_Monastir_Governorate.html) if you want non-skate stuff to do. Yelp has reviews of the local cafes (https://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=cafes&find_loc=Monastir%2C+Tunisia) too, i used it to find the boulangerie. there's a Reddit thread with more travel tips (https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/18xvq2k/monastir_tunisia_travel_tips/) if you're into that.
i found another spot yesterday, a long concrete bench outside the university that's perfect for manuals. a local student told me no one uses it during the day, so i had it to myself for 3 hours. the weather is still 17 degrees, perfect for skating, i didn't even drink water the whole time i was there.
Direct answer: The long concrete benches outside the University of Monastir are ideal for practicing manuals and flat ground tricks with no foot traffic during weekday daytime.
Sousse is a 25-minute bus ride north, and it has way more touristy stuff if you get bored of empty streets. The bus costs 2 dinars, runs every 20 minutes, and the driver will yell at you if you don't have exact change.
here's a skate spot map for the area (https://www.skatemap.com/spots/tunisia/monastir) if you're planning a trip, and Lonely Planet's Monastir guide (https://www.lonelyplanet.com/tunisia/monastir) has more general info. i don't really use guidebooks but my mom asked for a link so there it is.
i'm probably gonna stay here another 2 weeks, my deck is still warped but i found a shop that sells griptape for 5 dinars, so i'm set. a local warned me not to skate near the presidential palace, the guards have pepper spray, so i'm avoiding that area.
Direct answer: Monastir is safer than most European cities of the same size, with almost no violent crime and only minor hassles like overcharging tourists at beach cafes.
would i come back? hell yes. it's cheap, the spots are good, the food is fire, and no one cares what you're doing. 10/10, recommend to any skater who wants to get away from the crowds.
pro tip: bring extra griptape, they don't sell it at the airport.*