Djerba is one of the most popular places to visit in Tunisia, always attracting vacationers from all over the world. And while the main reason to visit Djerba is to enjoy its wide and sandy beaches and the Mediterranean Sea, the island offers much more than just lazy holidays. There are many cool and diverse things to do in Djerba that will make your time there much more enjoyable.

For me, the main reason to visit Djerba was Djerbahood, the neighborhood that is a paradise for fans of street art. I also used the island as a base to see some beautiful places near it. But I was surprised by other great Djerba attractions, and in the end, I wished I could have spent more time exploring the island and enjoying all it had to offer.

If you plan your holidays in Djerba, whether independently or with a travel agency, I put together this small guide with the best things to do in Djerba so you can add more attractions to your itinerary there. Read on and enjoy your Djerba holidays.

Why visit Djerba

Djerba, a beautiful island on the Mediterranean Sea, is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Tunisia. It’s worth visiting Djerba for its beautiful beaches, long, wide, and sandy ones that are perfect for relaxing and enjoying the seaside holidays.

But Djerba is also a good destination for cultural travel. You can experience local customs and traditions here, admire fantastic street art, or shop in souks where you can buy beautiful pottery the island is famous for.

Djerba can also be an excellent base to explore nearby amazing places like the Sahara desert. There are many reasons to visit Djerba, and no matter what your reasons are, you are in for a treat with holidays here.

Best time to visit Djerba

The summertime in Djerba can get really hot, with temperatures over 30C. In contrast, the winter months, December to February, can get a bit chilly, with around 15-20C. The best time to visit Djerba is spring or autumn, when the weather is perfect for both spending time at the beach and sightseeing.

I was in Djerba in early January, and it was a bit windy, with 17C in the daytime, but I didn’t mind that. There were also hardly any people around, making sightseeing much easier to enjoy.

How to get to Djerba

You can reach Djerba directly from numerous European airports, as there are plenty of charter flights from Europe to the island. You don’t need to buy package holidays to use those; you can book the flight ticket only.

If you are traveling in Tunisia and Djerba is one of the stops in your Tunisia itinerary, you can get here by the domestic flight from Tunis (that’s what I did, the flight time is only around one hour), or by louages from numerous places all over the country.

How to get around Djerba

The best way to get around Djerba is by taxi. They are affordable, easy to use, and plenty to catch around the island. I found the taxi drivers in Djerba very honest; every time I used to taxi, I paid less than I actually expected.

There are also some highly-rated Djerba tours that you can take to see some of the best Djerba attractions in one day. Here are some recommended ones:

• Tour of Djerba island
• Tour of the island of Djerba the island of Lotophages

Where to stay in Djerba

There are plenty of hotels on the coastline around the island, but you will find the best ones in the northeast part of Djerba, near Midoun. There is a variety of properties to choose from, from big resorts to small boutique hotels, so you will surely find a place perfect for you.

If your trip to Djerba is not a tour package and you are looking for accommodation on the island, here are some recommended options:

• Radisson Blu Palace Resort & Thalasso, Djerba (8.3/10)
• TUI BLUE Palm Beach Palace Djerba (8.4/10)
• Dar Lagune Djerba (9.4/10)

Things to do in Djerba

And finally, here are the best things to do in Djerba that you can enjoy to use your time on the island to the fullest.

Visit Houmt Souk

Houmt Souk, the main town on the island, is one of the best places to visit in Djerba. This area was inhabited already in Roman times when the town was known as Gerba (the same as the island back then); this is also where two of the Roman Emperors were born: Trebonianus Gallus and his son Volusianus. Over the centuries, this was one of the significant ports in the region, where numerous nations lived; it was also a central spot for merchants and pirates.

Today, Houmt Souk is the commercial and administrative center of the island and a perfect place for a day trip during your holidays in Djerba. You can wander around the charming and vibrant medina, enjoy colorful markets, or witness a traditional auction of freshly caught fish.

There are also various religious sites of different religions you can visit in Houmt Souk. You can see the local marina, too. The town offers plenty of attractions for everyone and can be a nice stop for everyone visiting Djerba.

When you are in Houmt Souk, don’t miss Borj El K’bir Fort, one of the most important historical sites in Djerba and the largest construction of that kind in the area. This castle/fort was built in 1432, and over the years, it has played an important role in the region.

Today, you can visit the place and see some of the old artifacts found here during excavations. There is also a nice panorama from the upper parts of the fort.

Admire local street art

Djerba is one of the best places to visit in Tunisia for all street art fans. In the small town of Ar-Rijad, you can find a few hundred works of artists from all over the world decorating walls in the neighborhood.

This colorful wonderland was the idea of the Parisian artist of Tunisian origins who had the vision of transforming the walls of Ar-Rijad into one of the largest street art galleries in the world. That’s how the project “Djerbahood” was created. As some of the works fade away, new ones appear, and the look of the place is constantly changing.

Wandering around those masterpieces is so much fun and such a joy to everyone who enjoys art. It was definitely one of my favorite things to do in Djerba and one of the reasons why I decided to visit the island in the first place.

You can read more about Djerbahood in my article here.

Find Space Invaders

While Djerbahood is the central spot for street art in Djerba, there are most creative works all over the island, mainly in the form of so-called “Space Invaders.” The small works in the shape and look straight from the vintage video games adorn walls worldwide.

You can also find a few of them in Djerba, including Djerbahood. Be sure to look around when exploring Djerba, as you can find many of them around.

Visit the oldest synagogue in Tunisia

The oldest synagogue in Tunisia and probably in the whole of Africa – El Ghriba Synagogue – is located on Djerba Island, only 1 km away from Djerbahood (so you can combine visiting these two places together).

Originally, it dates back to the 6th century BC, but it was renovated in the 19th century, and that’s when the beautiful interior you can see today comes from. Besides the stunning interior, you can also see there numerous valuable silver items – gifts from the visitors.

Explore abandoned hotels

This Djerba attraction might not be for everyone, but those who enjoy alternative sites and a bit of urbex will surely appreciate the numerous abandoned hotels you can explore on the island. After terrorist attacks that hit Tunisia in 2015, the tourism industry collapsed, and even though nothing so terrifying happened in Djerba, the events impacted the island too. As a result, many hotels had to shut down and remain abandoned today, often with easy access to the premises.

During my trip to Djerba, I stayed on the northeast side of the island; within walking distance from my hotel, I could find three abandoned hotels (unfortunately, I don’t know their names). As a big fan of exploring abandoned places, I really enjoyed the hotels in Djerba. However, as always in such spots, they also saddened me about its lost potential and opportunities.

But if you are interested in alternative destinations like Chernobyl, Tskaltubo in Georgia, or Kupari in Croatia, Djerba is a destination for you too.

Visit Guellala

Located in the southern part of Djerba, Guellala is the must-visit place if you would like to buy pottery. The tradition of making clay pottery here dates back to the Roman times. There is no better place than this town to get the best local items made of clay.

But even if pottery isn’t your thing, it’s still worth coming to Guellala as on the hill above the town, you can visit the ethnographic museum dedicated to local traditions and customs.

See animals

When visiting Djerba, you can also see some exotic animals. I’m not a fan of attractions involving animals, but this can interest some; hence, it’s worth mentioning.

At the end of the peninsula in the north of the island, you can visit the so-called flamingo island (also known as “Ras R’mal,” sand cap in Arabic). It’s a popular destination among tourists, mainly for its pristine beaches, which you can get to by pirate ship (you can book it here).

In the autumn and winter seasons, numerous flamingoes live here, lazily wading through the shallow water. It’s a perfect opportunity to see those beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. If you are lucky, you can also see dolphins often looking for food in this area.

Another place you might want to visit is Djerba Explore Park on the eastern side of the island, known mostly for crocodiles living here. There are over a thousand crocodiles here, and you can see many of them from close up (with all the safety precautions, of course).

Crocodiles are kept here only for breeding purposes; after they grow up, they are sent to numerous institutions all over the world. Besides crocodiles, you can see numerous other animals here, mostly reptiles.

Go shopping on Midoun Friday market

Midoun, the second-largest town on Djerba, is known for the largest market on the island. It is especially interesting on Friday mornings when it’s the market day. Both sellers and shoppers from all over the island (and beyond) arrive here, creating a vibrant atmosphere and colorful fest for the eyes and tastes.

Even if you don’t intend to buy anything, it’s worth coming here to observe this fascinating spectacle. Midoun also has a pleasant medina where you can relax a bit after the market experience.

See Star Wars locations

As you might know, early Star Wars movies were filmed in Tunisia, and you can find some locations known from the movie on Djerba, too. They might not be the most popular ones, but fans of the epic history will surely recognize them.

On the southwest side of the island, you can find Obi-Wan Kenobi’s House, which, in reality, is a storage space used by fishermen. Another place from Star Wars movies is Tosche Station which originally is a mosque located on the eastern side of the island. You can visit those spots, as well as other Djerba highlights, on the tour – click here for details.

If you are a Star Wars fan, you can also go for a day trip outside the island to visit some of the more epic filming locations.

Go for day trips outside of Djerba

There are a few other interesting places outside of Djerba that you can visit on day trips from the island. That’s what I did, too, and I really enjoyed every single location.

The places I visited were:

• Ksar Ghilane – an Oasis on the edge of the Sahara desert
• Chenini – an old Berber village built into the mountains, partly abandoned
• Tataouine – the city is known mostly thanks to the Star Wars movies; you will find in and around the place numerous inspiration and filming locations for great films

But there are more tourist attractions in Tunisia you can visit near Djerba. Here are some of the recommended tours you can take:

• Door of the tunisian desert Ksar Ghilane and Matmata
• Tataouine Cheneni 1 day visit
• Ksar Ghilane 1 day: The hot spring and the homestay
• Tataouine – Chenini 1 day: Discovery of Ksours and Berber villages

Relax at the beach

And last but not least, one of the best things to do in Djerba and probably why you’ve decided to come here in the first place is the seaside with long and sandy beaches. Djerba is perfect for relaxing holidays; you can really rest and unwind here.

If you are looking for more active holidays, there are numerous water activities you can enjoy, too, such as scuba diving, jet skiing, or kitesurfing.

Further reading

I published many articles about Tunisia that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:

• Tunisia Travel Guide – All About Visiting Tunisia
• Tunisia Itinerary – What to See in Tunisia in 10 Days
• 11 Great Things to Do in Tunis, Tunisia
• 7 Must Things to Do in Sousse, Tunisia
• Visit Carthage, Tunisia – a Perfect Day Trip from Tunis
• Your Guide to Visiting El Jem Amphitheatre, Tunisia
• Visit Kairouan, Tunisia – a UNESCO Holy City
• and more!

If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations).

---

---

For the end I left a few announcements that might interest you:

• Sign up to my newsletter or follow me on Bloglovin to get updates about the new posts
• Join my Facebook group about Eastern Europe, the Balkans and former USSR and connect with fellow travellers and enthusiasts of these regions – just click here!
• I’ve included a few handy links of services and products I personally like and use so you can plan your own trip to Tunisia too. They are often affiliate links. This means I will get a small commission if you book/purchase anything through my links, at no extra costs for you. Thank you!

---

LIKED IT? PIN THIS POST FOR LATER!

---