Discover the Best of Djerba, Tunisia: Beaches, Sun, Local Crafts, and Star Wars Attractions

There are many reasons to go to Djerba, but most go for the beach, sun, and warmth. Seeing the Star Wars filming sites is an added bonus. (If you’re a Wookie, then you may think the beaches are a distant second.)

Beaches

Beach-front resorts have private lounge chairs in roped off areas for their own clients. (They often have pools as well.) The sand between the chairs and ocean is public and you’ll often see locals offering horse and camel rides.

There are limited public access points to the beach. If you elect not to stay in a beach-front resort, consult a map for the public access routes before selecting a hotel.

Old Town

Marché Central Houmt Souk (old town) – In the old town, you’ll find this local bazar offering pottery, clothing, spices and more. While it caters to the tourist market, it is a good place to purchase gifts for loved ones at home. It’s easy to hail a cab to and from the market.

Produce and wholesale fish markets are inside the Houmt Souk. In the wholesale fish market, several fish are tied together on a string. When multiple people are interested in a particular string of fish, the fish monger starts a spontaneous auction.

Flamingo Island

When you’re ready for a change of scenery, embark on a pirate ship for a short sail to Flamingo Island for relaxation, lunch and (between October and February) flamingos.

Star Wars Tours

In 1976, director George Lucas was scouting locations for his next film.

Coming off the success of American Graffiti, he was looking for alien worlds for a little sci-fi film called Star Wars. Since all the postproduction would be done in England, it needed to be close to Europe. His production designer, John Barry, suggested he take a look at Tunisia and the rest is history.

Lucas used many local Berber features in his sets, including troglodyte houses as Luke Skywalker’s home and granaries as the slave quarters of Mos Espa. Even Luke’s home planet of Tatooine was inspired by the real-life Berber town of Tataouine.

In all, 10 different locations in Tunisia were used in Star Wars and the later sequels. Some of these locations are only a couple of hours from Djerba. Since most visitors don’t rent a car, joining a tour is the easiest way. This tour will take you to Nefta and Ong Jemel, the town of Mos Espa.

Wine & Beer

Tunisia produces both beer and wine locally. You can even tour wineries in Northern Tunisia.

There are several types of beer made in Tunisia, most of them being pale lagers. Celtia is the most popular and prevalent.

Wine has been produced in Tunisia for over one thousand years. My favorites were Rouge Coteaux de la Medjerda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Domaine Neferis Cuvee Magnifique.

You can buy wine and beer in grocery stores, although only foreigners can purchase alcohol on Fridays. To do so, you’ll need to bring your passport with you to the grocery store. During Ramadan, alcohol sales are allowed only at duty-free shops.

Most people stay in all-inclusive hotels, so there are not many outside restaurants. Restaurant Haroun, in the marina, offers fresh fish at reasonable prices.