Djerba

Legend links Djerba with the island of the lotus-eaters in Homer's Odyssey, whose fruit made sailors forget their way home, and it's easy to see why. This flat, sun-drenched island in the Gulf of Gabès is ringed by beaches and dotted with olive groves, palms and menzels, traditional whitewashed family farmsteads. In 2023, UNESCO added Djerba to the World Heritage List for its distinctive pattern of island settlement.

An island of many faiths

Djerba has long been home to both Muslim and Jewish communities. The El Ghriba synagogue, near the village of Erriadh, is one of the oldest in Africa, the focus of an annual spring pilgrimage and an enduring symbol of the island's Jewish heritage. Many of Djerba's mosques are small, whitewashed and almost fortress-like, reflecting the island's Ibadi Muslim tradition and a long history of defending its coast.

Markets, crafts and street art

Houmt Souk, the island's main town, has covered souks selling textiles, silver jewelry and spices, along with a seafront fortress. In Guellala, potters still shape local clay in their workshops, and in Erriadh the Djerbahood project has turned village walls into an open-air gallery of murals by Tunisian and international street artists.

Beaches and beyond

The sandy northeast coast is the main resort area, with long beaches, water sports and thalassotherapy spas, while flamingos gather in the shallows of the Ras Rmel peninsula, better known as Flamingo Island. Djerba is also a gateway to the south: the underground homes of Matmata, the fortified granaries around Tataouine and the dunes of Douz are all within reach.

How we plan Djerba

We'll balance beach days with cultural excursions and, if you like, a desert extension, as on our Tunisia Coast & Sahara journey. Djerba also pairs well with a few days in Tunis and Carthage.