Houmt Souk

Houmt Souk

Houmt Souk, Djerba, Tunisia

The Greek poet, Homer, called Djerba ‘the land of the lotus eaters’. This beautiful island is connected to the mainland by a causeway, but can also be reached by boat. The island is very green with wonderful beaches, beautiful flowers, date palms and olive groves. Although it doesn’t have a huge population, Houmt Souk is the nearest thing to a city on the island.

Markets are very important in Tunisia, and in Houmt Souk it’s no different. Like markets everywhere, there is a great choice of things to buy. Apart from fruit and vegetables, there are, like in all North African and Middle Eastern markets, spice stalls, carpet stalls, and where there are tourists, the ubiquitous souvenir type stalls. Haggling is compulsory; everyone does it, and if you don’t you’ll pay an unrealistically high price for goods. Stall holders don’t expect to get the first price they mention! If you feel uncomfortable about haggling, you can go to the fixed price shops. Here, you may pay a little more, but there’s no haggling and no hassle.

For independent travellers, ‘funduqs’ are basic hotels, locally run, but with basic amenities. You will probably pay, at the most, US$10 a night, and many have restaurants with live music in the evenings.

Although Tunisia is a Muslim country, Houmt Souk has a church where services still take place. There are of course mosques, including the Mosque of the Turks, and The Mosque of the Strangers. Entrance for non Muslims varies from place to place, and is often forbidden, so it is sensible to check, if you wish to visit. On the seafront is the Borj el-Kabir (‘Big Fortress’), which dates back to 1565. Although quite bare and plain inside, the inner quarters are interesting. Don’t miss the fantastic views of the city, the port and the sea from the top.

In this lovely region, the temperatures never drop below 15 degrees C. Only one of the reasons to visit this holiday destination!