Want to know the best things to do in Djerba, Tunisia? When you think of Tunisia, it’s usually the Sahara, ancient ruins, or bustling medinas that come to mind, not a laid-back island just off the coast.
But that’s exactly what Djerba Island is. In Djerba you’ll find long sandy beaches, whitewashed villages, and a mix of cultures and history that might surprise you. From the local markets, to one of the oldest synagogues in the world, and one of the coolest street art displays we’ve seen this side of Darwin.
Djerba was pretty much the first place we visited in Tunisia. We came here to chill out in the warmer weather after weeks of cold and rain in Europe. It only took a couple of days and we fell in love with this island. So much so, that at the end of our Tunisia Road Trip, we returned to relax here for another week.
If you’re road-tripping Tunisia, Djerba makes a really good place to catch your breath for a couple of days, see a different side of the country, and just slow things down a bit. But that’s not to say it’s just somewhere to relax by the beach. Far from it! There’s plenty to see and do here.
Download our FREE 2-page Tunisia Road Trip Checklist HERE
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Purchasing through these links supports our work and allows us to continue bringing you travel guides, like this, for free. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a commission from qualifying sales. Thank you for your support.
15 things to do in Djerba
These are our favourite things to do on Djerba Island, and just for balance we’ll add in a few that most guides include that we probably wouldn’t recommend.
1. Wander around Houmt Souk medina
Houmt Souk (also written Houmet Souk) is the main town on the island. It’s located right in the north, on the coast. Wandering through the medina (historic centre) is one of the best ways to get a feel for the island. You’ll see whitewashed buildings, small shops, and busy little streets.
The souk isn’t overwhelming like some you’ll find elsewhere in Tunisia, which actually makes it a lot more enjoyable to explore without the hassle you might expect. There are stalls selling spices, textiles, ceramics, and plenty of local bits and pieces, along with the usual mix of cafés and shopkeepers going about their day.
It’s a good place to just wander without a plan. Don’t be afraid to duck down some of the side alleys, that’s where you’ll find the real magic
2. Visit the Borj El Kebir Fortress
Right next to the harbour in Houmt Souk, you’ll find the island’s old fortress, Borj El Kebir. This fortress dates back to the 14th century and was renovated during the French occupation in the 19th century. It still feels solid and imposing today.
You can walk around the walls and climb up for views over the port and out to sea, which is probably the highlight. It doesn’t take a huge amount of time to visit, but it’s worth doing while you’re already in Houmt Souk.
3. Check out the El Ghriba Synagogue
You might be wondering why there is an important synagogue on Djerba Island, Tunisia – a muslim country. We were too!
El Ghriba is believed to be one of the oldest synagogues in the world, with origins that date back over 2,000 years, perhaps even containing a stone from the Temple of Solomon. The current building dates back to the 19th century, but the foundations of the much older building are here.
The synagogue is in the village of Erriadh and is an important site for Jewish pilgrims. It’s very popular with visitors to the island. The interior is beautiful, with blue and white tiles, chandeliers, and detailed decorations that feel very different to the mosques you’ll see elsewhere in Tunisia.
So why is there a synagogue here? Djerba has one of the oldest Jewish communities in North Africa, and while that community is much smaller today, it’s heritage is still very much part of the island’s identity.
If you visit, just be aware that it’s an active religious site. You’ll need to dress accordingly, and both men and women need to have their heads covered. There are scarves and kippah (scullcaps for men) available when you enter.
You will need to go through a security clearance before entering. We were surprised to see there were a number of armed guards here, but then we heard the synagogue has been the site of several terrorist attacks over the last 40 years.
4. Explore the street art in Djerbahood
Exploring Djerbahood is one of our favourite things to do on Djerba Island. Djerbahood is an open-air street art project in the village of Erriadh. The project began in 2014 and it has transformed what was once a quiet, traditional village into something else entirely. Artists from around the world were invited to create murals here, and the artwork is spread across walls, doorways, and alleyways throughout the village.
It’s easy to explore on foot, don’t worry where you’re going, just keep wandering through the alleys. We visited several times and each time we found new artworks.
In the main square there are a couple of souvenir shops and cafes, and a nice restaurant called La Placette where we ate lunch.
5. Pottery village of Guellala
Stop off in Guellala for a look at a more traditional side of Djerba Island. This village has been known for its pottery for generations, and it’s still one of the best places on the island to see that craft up close. As you drive in or through the village, you’ll notice pottery shops lining the road, along with piles of terracotta pots, bowls, and decorative pieces outside the workshops.
The town is not really set up for tourists, which actually makes it even more interesting. There’s an everyday feel to it, with many of the items still made for local use as much as for visitors. We were surprised that a lot of the displays were quite dusty and broken.
You won’t be able to miss the “Biggest Jar in the world”. I kid you not, it’s listed as such on Google Maps! There’s a few different stories about it’s origins, but basically it was made by local artisans to showcase their skills. Whether or not it’s actually the biggest jar in the world is questionable.
6. Guellala Museum
The Guellala Museum is up on top of a hill overlooking the town of Guellala, and across to the mainland. Visiting the museum gives you an insight into the cultural side of Djerba Island and the Berber people who live here. The exhibits focus on their traditional life covering everything from family life to crafts, clothing, and religious customs.
The museum is open 8am – 6pm in winter and 8am – 8pm in summer. Entry costs 8 Dinar.
7. Shop with the locals at the Midoun Friday Market
Each Friday there is a market in the town of Midoun where locals shop for fruit and vegetables, dates, herbs and even clothing. This is a really authentic local market, and even if you’re not self-catering it’s well worth visiting to see how the locals live.
It’s lively and loud, and the prices here are excellent! You’ll find a variety of fruit and vegetables, depending on the season. The dates we bought here were excellent, and really cheap!
8. Visit a traditional village
Exploring some of the smaller villages on Djerba Island gives you a very different perspective compared to the resort areas along the north west coast. We’ve already mentioned Erriadh which is a good starting point, but go further to explore smaller villages with their whitewashed buildings, simple doorways, and quiet streets/
We ended up spending quite a bit of time around Ajim, on the western side of the island, and it felt noticeably less touristy. I don’t think we saw any other foreigners when we were there. It’s more of a fishing village, and if you’re driving to Djerba and arrive via the ferry, this will be the first town you see.
There’s not a lot to do here, which is kind of the point. It’s more about wandering around and seeing local life as it is. There is a small market here on Wednesdays. However, there is one of the Star Wars filming locations here in the town.
9. Check out the Star Wars Filming locations
In 1976 George Lucas came to Tunisa to film a “space” movie which would become the beginning of one of the greatest film franchises in history. Tunisia was the setting for Tatooine in Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope (and later movies). While most scenes were filmed out in the desert, and around Tataouine and Matmata, there are three interesting filming locations on Djerba Island.
In the village of Ajim, the ruins of an old Bakery in the middle of town was once the exterior of the Mos Eisley Cantina. A small fishermen’s storage hut was used as the exterior of Old Ben Kenobi’s house and the Sidi Jemour Mosque on the west side of the island was used for the exterior of Tosche Station where Luke goes to meet his friend Biggs. This scene was later cut from the final edit but you can watch it on YouTube.
10. Try the local food
Djerba is a great place to try traditional Tunisian food, there are lots of restaurants and small eateries on the island. Try brik, which is a deep fried pastry with egg (and sometimes tuna). Nigel loved this!
The national dish of Tunisia is couscous, which is usually served with seasonal vegetables. We also ate fish here (dourade or Sea Bream) which was delicious.
11. Relax on the beach
Djerba is known for it’s beautiful white sand beaches, and the North East of the Island is dotted with large resort hotels (and even a casino and a couple of Golf Courses!). Even if you’re not staying at one of these resorts you can visit the beaches like Sidi Mahrez. It’s especially nice to visit at low tide, when the sand bars are exposed and they are better for walking.
We drove down a short paved track just north of the Radisson Blu Palace Hotel. There is a small café and beach bar here, and a nice white sand beach.
We stayed on the west coast of the island on the beach near Chech Yahya – what a cool place name! There is only a small beach here, and it’s quite rocky but at low tide the sand bars stretch a long way out. It’s beautiful to walk out here and see the fishermen returning with their catch.
You should be aware that the beaches on Djerba (and everywhere in Tunisia) can be quite littered. We can only assume that the resorts clean their beaches but on the west coast there were plastic bottles and other trash everywhere. We always like to pick up around where we park, and one day we collected 5 garbage bags of plastic bottles in a 30 metre stretch. Let’s do better, humans!
12. Go on a Quad Bike/ATV tour
When we were parked up on the beach on the west side of Djerba we would see the Quad Bike Tours come through daily. They would stop here for photos and a walk out on the sand bar (if the tide was out). There are several different Quad Bike tours you can do, this one looks cool.
13. Try kite-boarding in the Djerba Lagoon
Djerba is a great spot for kiteboarding with shallow flat water and good winds. There are a couple of kite schools along the south west coast, and Global Kite at Smile Beach not far from Houmt Souk.
Nigel hired gear and went out for a session here, but sadly the wind wasn’t great. The gear hire is €20 an hour, or €50 for the day, and lessons are available for beginners.
14. Sail on a Pirate Ship to Pelican Island
While you’re on Djerba you can sail on an “authentic” pirate ship to Pelican Island, one of the most beautiful beaches on Djerba. OK, this is not really our thing, and we didn’t do it, but it IS one of the most popular activities on the island.
The full day trip leaves from Houmt Souk and sails across the lagoon to the Island (which is actually a sand spit), where there are other activities like camel rides, ATV rides or sunbed hire for an extra cost. A traditional lunch is served. The reviews for this trip look great and the price is reasonable.
15. Visit Djerba Explore Park
The Djerba Explore Park is a tourist facility with a museum and reconstructed Berber village where visitors can learn about the traditional lives of the people of Djerba and Tunisia. There is also a crocodile and reptile park here where you can see the crocs being fed.
We did not visit the park as we preferred to see the small villages where locals are still living traditionally today. We are not fans of zoos, and saw plenty of crocodiles in the wild in Australia.
The park is open from 8am to 8pm, and costs 37 TD for adults, 24 TD for children. This is the most expensive attraction we’ve seen in Tunisia.
Djerba Island Travel Guide – Essential Information
How to get to Djerba
By Air
Djerba-Zarzis International Airport receives direct flights from several European cities, including London and Paris, and regional flights from Tunis. The airport is a short drive from the Tourist Zone on the North East of the island.
By Car or Campervan/Motorhome
If you’re on a Tunisia Road Trip you can drive to Djerba. If you’re coming from the north, there is a small vehicle ferry that leaves from Jorf and makes the 15 minute crossing to Ajim. We took the ferry three times. The first time (during Ramadan) the wait was only around 20 minutes, but the second and third times we waited around 2 hours to board the ferry. The ferry costs 800 millemes (yes, that’s about €0.25)
There is a road that crosses the causeway to El Kantara. This causeway is built on the foundations of an ancient Roman causeway. There is a bridge in the middle of the causeway, and this crossing is around 7km long. There is no toll to cross here. The causeway is better if you’re coming from the south (Medenine or Tataouine) or, if you’re coming from the north and don’t want to wait for the ferry!
By Bus (Louage)
You could take a louage to Djerba from Gabes or Sfax. Louages are shared taxis – usually a 7-8 seater white mini-bus with a red stripe. You’ll see these all over Tunisia. They depart from a louage station when full, and are a fast and cheap way of travelling through the country.
We did not take any louages, as we were travelling with our own campervan, but this post from The Helpful Stranger gives a great rundown.
Getting around Djerba
All the towns in Djerba are connected by good roads, and the island is small, so it’s easy to get around. If you don’t have your own car or campervan you can rent a car at the airport, or use louages or taxis. We did see a lot of tourists on horse drawn carts around the Midoun market and the tourist area, if that’s your thing.
Where to stay in Djerba
The north east of Djerba is known as the Zone Touristique or Tourist area, and this is where you’ll find most of the large hotels and resorts, like the Radisson Blu Palace. Interestingly, there are a lot of abandoned resorts along this stretch too. After the 2015 terrorist attacks at Sousse, the tourist industry fell into a swift decline and these hotels were closed down.
If you prefer something more traditional and homier, try a “dar” which is a traditional guesthouse. You’ll find these in the smaller towns like Erriadh and there’s even a dar near the beach at Chech Yahya.
If you’re travelling Tunisia in a campervan, there is a “campsite” in the parking lot of the Dar Jerba hotel where you can stay for 50 TD per night, which includes power, water refill and dump point. There is a washing machine here for an additional 10 TD per load. We stayed here a couple of times to do laundry and fill/empty our tanks.
We wild camped on the west coast of the island at Chech Yahya, when we first arrived in the country in late February, there were around 5 other campers here, but when we returned in early April we were often alone.
FAQs
Is Djerba worth visiting?
Yes! We absolutely loved Djerba. It feels quite different to the rest of Tunisia – more laid back and the traditions seem a bit different, even if it’s just the women wearing straw hats. While many people visit here as part of an all-inclusive resort holiday, Djerba is also good for independent travellers. There’s a lot to see and do here beyond simply lying on the beach. It ranks highly on our Favourite Things to do in Tunisia.
When is the best time to visit Djerba?
We visited Djerba in the early spring. We had beautiful warm weather and cool nights in late February, and it was quite windy for a few days when we returned in early April. But when the wind dropped we had some beautiful warm sunny days.
Like all of Tunisia, Djerba would be VERY HOT during summer. We met quite a few European van-lifers who had spent the winter in Tunisia, and many of them spent weeks by the beach in Djerba.
How long do you need to see Djerba?
You could see most of the sights in a couple of days, but spending longer here allows you to relax and enjoy the traditional life on the island. We would recommend a minimum of three days here.
Is Djerba safe for tourists?
Surprisingly, with so many tourists on the island, Djerba was the one place without the heavy police presence we saw elsewhere in Tunisia. We were only visited by police once in the two weeks we camped on the beach here.
Is Djerba campervan friendly?
Djerba is a great place to stay in a campervan or motorhome. Wild camping is tolerated here, and there are plenty of places to park up on the west coast of the island. We stayed near Chech Yahya, and would cross to the east coast to the campsite at Djerba Midoun when we needed to refill our tanks and do laundry.
Some of the roads are narrow and you’ll find speed humps and pot holes, so although the distances are short, driving around will be slow. The Geant supermarket at Djerba Midoun has a large parking lot where we always found space to park our van.
Is Djerba expensive for tourists?
I’m sure if you stayed at the five star resorts and ate in their restaurants, Djerba might seem expensive. However, we prefer local, authentic experiences so we found Djerba very affordable.
We shopped in the local markets and bought bread from hole-in-the-wall bakeries. We ate out at one restaurant (which was in a touristy area of Djerbahood) and lunch for the two of us with drinks was around €20.
Can you buy alcohol in Djerba?
Alcohol is available in several supermarkets on the island in the “Cave”. We shopped in the Geant Midoun. You can buy beer, wine and spirits here. We enjoyed the local IPA (Celtia Legend) which comes in small cans. The Cave will be closed on Friday and Holy Days (aka the entire month of Ramadan) so you can’t buy alcohol then.
Final Thoughts
Djerba really is so much more than just a beach resort destination. If you’re on a Tunisia Road Trip Djerba is a great place to relax and reset after travelling around the Sahara Desert or the hustle and bustle of the capital Tunis.
Found this Djerba Island guide helpful? Please Contact Us if you have any questions about it.
Why not Buy us a Coffee to say thanks.