Things to Do in Djerba

Potter through Houmt Souk's covered markets

Threads of cumin, henna and dried rose petals hang in the air while you squeeze past stalls stacked with Berber blankets, wicker bird cages and pyramids of glistening dates. The fish auction starts around dawn. Watch for wooden trays sliding across wet marble, auctioneers rattling prices in Arabic and French, and the briny slap of octopus hitting the scales.

Cycle the palm-road to Guellala

The tarmac cuts through mile-long date plantations where you'll hear rustling fronds and the occasional camel grunt. Guellala's pottery kilns glow amber at dusk; inside, artisans hand-turn amphorae whose clay smells of wet earth and wood smoke.

Sunset watch at Sidi Mahres beach

The northern end stays mercifully free of resort umbrellas. Instead you get a long curve of fine sand, kite-surfers carving neon trails, and the smell of salt mingling with someone's portable grill loaded with merguez sausages. As the sun drops, the tide exposes rippled patterns that glow copper under your bare feet.

Explore Erriadh's Jewish quarter and El Ghriba synagogue

Bruised-blue doors, jasmine vines and whitewashed alleys give this neighborhood a hushed, courtyard feel. Inside the 2,500-year-old synagogue, oil lamps throw soft light onto tiled pillars and handwritten pilgrim notes tucked between stones. On May pilgrimages you'll hear drumbeats and the sweet wobble of Andalusian hymns drifting from the courtyard.

Day-sail to Flamingo Island

The wooden felucca leaves from Ajim pier, engine coughing before the sail unfurls with a snap. You'll skim past sandbanks where pink flamingos balance like lawn ornaments, then anchor for a swim in waist-high turquoise water tasting faintly of salt and seaweed. Crew grill sea bream over an iron plate, lemon sizzling as it hits the skin.

Zone Touristique Sidi Mahres - big resort strip, good if you want beachfront pools and souvenir kiosks a minute away

Houmt Souk medina - boutique guesthouses in 18th-century merchant homes, handy for evening harbor strolls

Erriadh village - peaceful lanes, olive-oil breakfasts and rooftop views of date palms

Midoun beach area - mid-range hotels with kite-surf schools out front

Ajim fishing port - basic apartments, great for early ferry departures and cheap grilled fish

Guellala plateau - eco-lodges amid pottery kilns, you'll wake to the smell of wood-fired clay