If you’re looking for a place that sums up island living, it’s Djerba. Just 5 km of Tunisia’s southern coast, this peninsula’s gently sloping sandy beaches and perfect climate has made it a popular stop for travelers. The idyllic villages and scenery make delving deeper into Tunisian culture and exploring the sightseeing attractions a must. Here we explore the 5 unmissable things to do in Djerba.
* Houmt Souk medinaThe old town area of Djerba’s capital Houmt Souk is a quaint maze of alleyways lined by picturesque whitewashed houses, and therefore is perfect for a beautiful day of strolling around, while buying loads of hand-painted pottery, traditional jewelry and carpets with colorful prints. The purple bougainvilleas growing on the houses’ white facades against the backdrop of a clear blue sky is an image you will never forget.
* Djerba beachThe best beaches of Tunisia are to be found in Djerba. It’s incredible to just enjoy the sun, get that tan you always wanted and go for a relaxing and refreshing swim in the incredibly turquoise waters surrounding the so-called ‘island of the thousand palm trees’. Djerba is a prime tourist destination for a reason, and if you’re looking for the picture-perfect beach escape, this is it. The white powdery sands of Plage Sidi Mahrez and Plage de la Séguia are perfect for sun-bathing while the best seafood dishes await you here as well.
* Ras Rmel (Flamingo Island)Ras Rmel is a peculiar almost surreal scenery. Not really an island but more consisting of enormous wetlands, it is an eco-reserve where thousands of flamingos flock together. The combination of the birds’ neon-pink color and the azure blue of the ocean is magical. From Houmt Souk you can take a boat to the island, snorkel and swim, go for a siesta in the available hammocks or just try the divinely fresh oysters and coquilles caught by the local fishermen.
* GuellalaWhen you buy some beautiful painted pottery in Houmt Souk, chances are high it has been made in the village of Guellala, Djerba’s main pottery centre. Some 450 potters live and work here, and visiting one of their workshops is a mind-boggling experience; the manner in which the clay is edited into these magnificent amphoras or storage jars is a true form of art. Many of Guellala’s inhabitants are Berbers, and their traditions and culture is to be felt and spotted everywhere, which makes Guellala one of the most real and authentic villages in Tunisia.
* El-Ghriba
The El-Ghriba synagogue is a fine intermezzo when discovering the village of Er-Riadh, located in central Djerba. It is the most prominent reminder of the island’s vibrant Jewish community, who have lived in Er-Riadh since 586BC, and is still an important place of pilgrimage for Jews from all over the world. Although not very impressive from the outside, El-Ghriba’s interior is a rich mix of blue tiles warmed by sunlight streaming in through colored glass windows. The Torah scrolls kept at this synagogue are among the most important and valuable in the world.