What to see in Médenine

8 places worth the drive in Médenine, with the time to allow and the best period for each. Every place has its own page: history, customs, food and directions.

1. 1.Djerba

   The island of dreams

   Flat, sunny and ringed by beaches, Djerba mixes whitewashed fortified mosques, the street art of Djerbahood and the lively souks of Houmt Souk.

   Time : 2–4 days · Best : May to Oct

2. 2.Djerba by bike

   A flat island cycling plan

   Djerba is flat and compact. A cycling plan drawn up with German cooperation (GIZ) identifies eight routes, about 120 km in all, with two main axes: Houmt Souk to Ajim and Midoun to El May.

   Time : 1 day · Best : All year

3. 3.El Ghriba Synagogue

   One of Africa's oldest synagogues

   A synagogue of blue tiles and painted wood in the village of Erriadh, at the heart of one of the oldest Jewish communities in the Arab world.

   Time : 1 hour · Best : All year

4. 4.Guellala Potters

   A village of clay and kilns

   Djerba's pottery village, where potters still work in vaulted underground workshops. The Guellala Heritage Museum tells the story of island life.

   Time : 2 hours · Best : All year

5. 5.Zarzis

   Olive groves down to the sand

   South of Djerba, a long coast of fine sand and calm water backed by olive groves and palms, with fewer visitors than the island.

   Time : 1–2 days · Best : May to Oct

6. 6.Houmt Souk

   Djerba’s market town and fish auction

   The island’s main town, with whitewashed covered souks, old caravanserais turned into guesthouses, and a morning fish auction where the crier sits on a raised chair.

   Time : Half day · Best : Mar to May, Sep to Nov

7. 7.Djerbahood (Erriadh)

   A village turned open-air gallery

   In 2014, about 150 street artists from some 30 countries painted around 250 murals on the white walls of Erriadh, the village of the Ghriba synagogue. Many are still there, faded or repainted, between the houses and the lanes.

   Time : 1–2 hours · Best : Mar to Jun, Oct to Nov

8. 8.Beni Khedache

   A mountain town in the Dahar

   About 30 km west of Médenine, Beni Khedache sits in the Dahar mountains between the plain and the Grand Erg. The area is dotted with ksour and old granaries, and the town has a mosque built underground.

   Time : Half a day · Best : Oct to Apr