Tunisian
The island of Djerba offers history, hearty food and holistic spa resorts, finds Rory Buccheri
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ou’re not the same person coming out as you were going in,” says guide Jamel Arfaoui, as he introduces us to the maze of murals created by the Djerbahood street art project, an open-air gallery in the village
of Erriadh on Tunisia’s largest island. Bright-pink bougainvillea provide the only shade as we make our way past the village’s white walls and blue wooden doors, mirroring the sky and the pillowy clouds above. This labyrinthine layout is common across Tunisia – an ancestral way of building villages “to confuse foreigners trying to invade”, as Arfaoui puts it, eliciting a chuckle from our small agent group. I’m travelling with nine agents on an easyJet holidays fam and we get to know each other as we peek behind painted corners to admire the artworks around us. Nearly 80 years as a French protectorate, before gaining independence in 1956, has made Djerba a hit with French-speaking tourists. But since easyJet launched flights and packages from Luton and Manchester in November 2024, the Mediterranean island is back on the British radar.
NOT JUST DESERTS Tunisia has a reputation for value, but it’s rich in cultural attractions too. In Djerba, these range from the medieval Borj El Ghazi Mustapha fort to El Ghriba,
the biggest and oldest synagogue in North Africa with parts dating back to 500BC, which is ornately decorated in blue and silver geometric tiles. To learn more about the island, suggest clients stop at the Guellala Museum atop Djerba’s tallest hill, from
where they can catch a magical sunset. Star Wars fans might also be interested to know the village of Tataouine – the inspiration for the film franchise’s desert planet – is a two-hour drive away, on the mainland. Local artisans in the bustling medina will tell you Djerba is the ‘land of Ulysses’, a place whose lure was so strong that the Greek hero forgot why he wanted to go back home. For modern travellers, the island is ideally positioned to combine traditions from the Mediterranean and the Sahara. I learn about unique regional dishes, uniting Bedouin simplicity with seafood galore, in a cooking class with Chef Leila at the Iberostar Waves Mehari Djerba hotel. We whip up pillow-soft flatbreads, lamb couscous and crunchy brik – a filo pastry parcel filled with tuna, onions, egg and harissa that is deep-fried until golden brown. We tour six of easyJet holidays’ most popular hotels on the island, from familiar international brands such as the five-star Radisson Blu Palace Resort to smaller properties with a stronger ²
29 JANUARY 2026
travelweekly.co.uk
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