Kerkennah Islands
Flat, palm-dotted islands of traditional fishermen off Sfax
The Kerkennah archipelago lies about 20 km off Sfax and is reached by a car ferry that takes around an hour to Sidi Youssef. The two main islands, Gharbi and Chergui, are low and sandy, linked by a causeway and scattered with palms and small villages. Life revolves around the sea: fishermen still use the charfia, a fixed trap of palm fronds planted in the shallows, a technique listed by UNESCO as intangible heritage in 2020. Visitors come for the calm pace, octopus and fish dishes, cycling on quiet roads, the Roman ruins at Borj el Hissar and shallow, clear water.
Highlights
- Car ferry crossing from Sfax
- Charfia palm-frond fisheries
- Borj el Hissar Roman ruins
- Octopus and fish cuisine
- Quiet roads for cycling
Best months to visit
Location
Nearby
Medina of Sfax
A working medina inside complete 9th-century walls
≈ 3 h on sitePrice on request
UNESCOEl Jem Amphitheatre & Museum
A colossal Roman amphitheatre rising above a small town
≈ 3 h on sitePrice on request
Mahdia
First Fatimid capital on a peninsula, with fine beaches
≈ 4 h on sitePrice on request