Books and travel guides about Tunisia Djerba do not have much space and information. But this does not mean that the island is a depressed industrial area or a tourist outsider. On the contrary, Djerba (Tunisia) willingly receives guests all year round. You could even say that in recent years, tourism has squeezed traditional carpet weaving in terms of profitability. But for many people, the island, lost near the Libyan border, is “incognito terra”. We will try to tell here about this idyllic corner, where, according to legend, among the date groves and beaches with pure sand, Odysseus forgot everything in the world in the arms of the nymph Calypso. We will only say that in order to relax and lose the sense of time on Djerba, no mermaids are needed, because the gentle sea, thalassotherapy procedures and the hospitality of local residents will do their job.
Geography
The island of Djerba (Tunisia) is small. Its length is only 29 kilometers, and its width is even less - a maximum of 28 km. Also, this piece of land is not high; it rises above the sea by only 55 meters. Saying "island", we adhere to a clear geographical definition, although in order to get there, you don’t have to sail at all. It comes so close to the mainland that it is connected to it by a bridge. Moreover, this jumper is not an achievement of modern engineering. The bridge was built by the ancient Romans more than two thousand years ago. From all sides the island is washed by the azure waters of the Bay of Gabes. The coastline of Djerba is 130 kilometers of excellent beaches. The main city of the island is Houmt Souk, the lively shopping center of southern Tunisia. Djerba exports not only carpets of marvelous work, but also sponges, soap, pottery and fish.
Climate
North African heat, tempered by the fresh breath of the Atlantic Ocean, promises you an excellent vacation in Tunisia. Djerba, due to its geographical location, can boast that the temperature on the island is always 2-3 degrees higher than on the mainland. And yet this is not Egypt. Despite the assurances of travel agencies that you can sunbathe and swim in Djerba all year round, there is a “dead season” here. These are three winter months. The coldest time is January. The air temperature is kept at + 15 ° C, and in February and December - + 17 ° C. The best time to relax on Djerba is called the off-season reviews with their comfortable + 22-26 ° C. The Mediterranean climate created a variety of landscapes on a small island. The lush greens of olive and date groves here contrast with the desert landscapes.
"Land of the Lotophages"
The island of Djerba (Tunisia) is so beautiful that it is not surprising that there are many legends circling around it. Homer came up with the first one. From the Odyssey, we learn that Ulysses sailed from the burning Troy and, after long adventures, reached the deserted coast, on which there lived inhabitants who did not know grief. They ate lotus flowers, which grew here in abundance. For this, Odysseus called the island "land of the Lotophagous." The brave sailor met here the nymph Calypso. She gave him a drink of nectar from a lotus flower, and this drug stupefied Odysseus so much that he forgot the purpose of his journey and remained on the island (in love, of course) for seven years. Homer gives the island the name Oligia. This myth is not hard to believe, because even today the atmosphere reigning on Djerba is saturated with a kind of stupefying sweet ether. Already on the second day, even the most collected and pedantic person loses the sense of time and plunges into a blissful languor.
History
In reality, everything was somewhat more prosaic, but no less interesting. The discoverers of the island were the Phoenicians. In the distant eighth century BC, they brought here the rudiments of trade and crafts. But inhabited by Tunisia, the island of Djerba and the oases of western Sahara, the local tribes of the Berbers. Even now they have retained their originality, although they coexist side-by-side with other nationalities of the country. The island received a powerful economic impetus during the era of the Roman Empire. An embankment bridge was built across the two-kilometer strait, connecting Djerba with the mainland. The island is the small homeland of the emperors Valerian and Gallien. Later Tunisia was owned by the Byzantines, Normans, Arabs, Spaniards, Turks. In the 16th century, the name of the terrible pirate Drogut Reis, who had one of his bases on the island, was booming. It is believed that the filibuster hid his treasures somewhere here. In 1560, a pirate erected a tower of five thousand skulls of his enemies. Bordj el-Rus stood until 1848, after which it was dismantled, and human remains were buried.
How to get there
Hotels on the island of Djerba (Tunisia) attract travelers, but the road to them, especially from our penises, can be a long one. In the high season from Russia, Nouvelair operates charter flights. But at another time you have to get with transfers. The local airport of Djerba-Zarzis regularly accepts only domestic flights. You can fly to the capital of the state, the city of Tunisia, and then use one of the offers of local airlines (a one-way ticket will cost about one hundred dinars). The journey to the lounger, the intercity minibus, will be longer, but four times cheaper. They move away from stops as they fill. An alternative to them are buses. More expensive, but comfortable, with air conditioning. And they go on schedule.
Tunis, Djerba island: hotels
The hotel base of the local resorts allows you to relax in a variety of categories of tourists. Most hotels are concentrated on the north and west coasts, as well as in the city of Houmt Souk. At the southeastern tip of the island, the excellent Midun resort thrives. If we consider hotels by stardom, then the vast majority are the "fours." Moreover, the quality of service in them surpasses the Turkish "five". Here are represented both well-known chain hotels in Europe (Magic Life, Iberostar, Caribbean World and others), as well as local ones with unique color and buildings in the Berberian style. Five-star hotels in Djerba (Tunisia) offer their guests life-giving thalassotherapy courses. These are the oases of the bliss such as Hasdrubal Thalassa & Spa Prestige, Ulysse Palace, Movenpick Ulysse, Vincci Al Kantara, Radisson Blu. Of the worthy "three rubles" you can recommend Miramar, Garden Park, Mehari and Palma.
Popular excursions
The island of Djerba (Tunisia) is a unique place where the Christian West and the Muslim East intertwine, African beliefs and Jewish wisdom. Here, like a time machine, you can go to the medieval medina and spend hours wandering through the shady narrow streets. Tourists are offered a large number of excursions both in the island and in mainland Tunisia. Which one to choose? Reviews praise the organized two-day trip to the Sahara with a stop at the Barbary settlements of Ksara and the Tataouin area. By the way, those who watched the Star Wars movie epic will probably recognize a fictitious planet of the same name in this desert landscape. Yes, Tataouine was filmed here, and at the same time they borrowed a name. Children will be interested in visiting the crocodile farm and the Laguna nature reserve, where lotuses grow and flocks of pink flamingos live. You will have unforgettable impressions after visiting the lunar landscapes of Matmata.
Independent travel
Immediately you need to make a reservation that taxi prices are higher than in the mainland of the state of Tunisia. The island of Djerba is small, but still its attractions are remote from each other. If you are lucky enough to relax in Houmt Souk, go to the medina. This is the name of the medieval quarter in the Arab world. In addition to the noisy oriental bazaars, where you can buy beautiful jewelry, coinage, carpets and pottery, you will see many characteristic houses with white walls and a domed roof. These are menzels, the traditional dwellings of the inhabitants of Djerba. Thanks to this design of the building, it always keeps cool. In the labyrinths of the medina there are also three main mosques that are worth visiting: Jamaa-Ettruk, Ash-Sheikh and Jemaa-el-Gorba. But the main attraction of the old city is the fortress of Bordj el Kebir. In the Jewish town of Hara Segira there is the oldest synagogue La Griba (Amazing). According to legend, she is already two thousand six hundred years old. And in the town of Meninks, the ruins of an ancient Roman settlement have been preserved.
Souvenirs
What to bring to the memory of the island of Djerba (Tunisia)? Reviews advise, besides carpets, to buy fine local wines. The French colonialists instilled a taste for fine drinks to the local population, so you will not be disappointed. Palm trees grow everywhere on the island, so alcoholic beverages are made from dates. A bottle of liquor will be very handy, as well as a package of excellent olive oil. For exotic lovers, we recommend you to buy melhafu in a medina at the bazaar - a traditional orange-striped bedspread. Fine pottery is sold in Gellale.