Eighteen kilometres west of Tataouine, Chenini is a half-ruined Berber village stacked along a razorback ridge at nearly 450 metres. The old village — mostly uninhabited now, with collapsed walls and empty doorways — winds up the hillside from the new settlement below, the troglodyte houses carved directly into the rock face giving way to the white-washed mosque at the summit. The views from the top across the Dahar plateau are spectacular: a vast stony plain stretching to the horizon, broken by the occasional date palm.
The walk up takes about twenty minutes at a steady pace and is steep in places. Go early or late — the exposed ridge is relentless in the midday heat. The new village at the base has a couple of small cafes and a craft market. Chenini makes an obvious circuit with Ksar Ouled Soltane and Douiret — together they cover the best of the Tataouine region in a single long day.