Tozeur

Just a short drive outside of Tozeur, a desert city in Tunisia, is Tatooine. The fictional city in a galaxy far, far away was actually named for the city of Tataouine, farther south. But out there in the Sahara lie a handful of Star Wars sets that have been left, well-preserved, for curious travelers and fans. There’s the Mos Espa Spaceport, home of a young Anakin, where each building is only a story tall (digital effects built the rest). Between them, a handful of robot-like “moisture vaporators”—used on Tatooine to collect much-needed water—stretch toward the sky. Even if you’re not a Star Wars aficionado, it’s a fascinating sight: For 360 degrees around this little “town,” all you’ll see is a seemingly endless desert.

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Beyond fiction, the city of Tozeur itself houses wonders of its own. It’s a great jumping-off point for visiting the nearby Chott El Djerid, the Sahara’s largest salt lake, where you can experience a mirage like nowhere else on Earth. Compared to the always-busy city of Tunis, a six-hour bus ride to the north, Tozeur offers the easy respite of an oasis city.