Where to stay in Djerba
The hotel zone in the east, Houmt Souk with its funduqs in the north, or Midoun and the villages between them — three ways to sleep on Djerba, a choice between the beach outside the room and the island behind it.
- For the beach
- The east coast
- For the town
- Houmt Souk
- For quiet
- The south around Aghir and Sedouikech
On Djerba the hotels stand on one shore and the island lives on all the others — so the choice is between twenty-odd kilometres of beach in the east with all-inclusive, or a funduq with a courtyard in Houmt Souk, with the market, the harbour and the same beach about fifteen minutes away by taxi. Most people choose the first and should not leave without at least two nights in the second.
The east coast — the hotel zone, for the beach
From Sidi Mahrez in the north-east to Aghir in the south-east, twenty-odd kilometres of hotels in a row on a white beach with a shallow sea — good for children, hard going for swimmers. The hotels are large, with pools and kids' clubs; behind them is a road and not much else. The wind on the island blows mostly from the north-east, straight onto this shore: the sea is calm in the morning and choppy in the afternoon, so swimming is planned before noon. The town is fifteen to twenty-five minutes by taxi, depending on the end of the zone — anyone coming for the sea chooses the north, nearer Houmt Souk.
Houmt Souk — the funduqs, for the town
The main town in the north, with funduqs — former caravanserais with a courtyard the rooms open onto — turned into small hotels. The market, the fish auction, the fort and the harbour are on foot; Sidi Mahrez beach is about fifteen minutes away by taxi or bus. This is the Djerba people live on, not just holiday on, and at least two nights here change the whole stay.
Midoun — the village in the middle
A village between the hotel zone and the interior, with a Friday market, cafés and courtyard houses to rent. The beach is about ten minutes, Houmt Souk twenty, and everything is done by bicycle or scooter across the flat island. For a week with a car and a kitchen this is the best compromise; for all-inclusive it is not.
The south — Aghir, Sedouikech, towards the causeway
The southern end of the zone and the villages behind it, with fewer hotels, dunes and the road to the Roman causeway and the Sahara. Quieter, with a better view of the mainland; Houmt Souk is half an hour away. Chosen for a second visit to the island or as a base before a Sahara trip.
What to avoid
- The whole stay in the zone without a single night in town. The commonest mistake on the island; two nights in a funduq take nothing from the beach, a short taxi ride away, and add the market in the morning and the harbour at night.
- A hotel at the south of the zone for the price. You save a little and the town is twice as far; the north of the zone is closer with the same beach.
- A listed house without transport. The island is flat but big — a village house without a bicycle or scooter means a taxi for every beach.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Where is the best beach on Djerba?
Sidi Mahrez in the north-east: white sand, a shallow sea and the nearest to town. The whole eastern strip down to Aghir is the same beach; the further south, the quieter and the further from everything.
What is a funduq?
A former caravanserai in Houmt Souk: an arcaded courtyard that once had stables around it and now has rooms. A small hotel with the market and the harbour on foot, and no beach outside the door — the way to see the island rather than just the coast.
Do you need transport on Djerba?
Not for the hotel zone and the town — taxis are cheap, the bus runs. You need it for the villages, Guellala and the synagogue in one day, and for the Sahara across the causeway; a bicycle or scooter works for the flat island without the Sahara.
Ready for Djerba?
Where to next
What Djerba costs
→Djerba costs little on sights — the market, the synagogue, Djerbahood and the beach are close to free — and…
El Jem · 159 km
→A Roman amphitheatre for 35,000 in the middle of an olive plain — an hour from the beach
How well does Djerba suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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