Djerba · West Coast
Djerba's west coast has nothing to do with the long hotel beaches of the island's east. Here, no concrete seafront or water-sports clubs aimed at tourists: just fishing villages, the Bou Grara lagoon and a handful of low-key beaches that only regulars really know. Sidi Jmour, near the village of Ajim, is the best example — an address few guides still mention, yet well worth the detour for anyone looking to escape the tourist bustle of the east coast. Here is our complete guide to discovering this secret beach and its surroundings.
Sidi Jmour, Djerba's best-kept secret
On the island's west coast, near the village of Ajim — the port that also served as a filming location for Mos Eisley in the first Star Wars instalment — Sidi Jmour is a radical contrast to the hotel beaches of the east: immaculate white sand, clear turquoise water, and above all very few people, even at the height of the season. A small white mosque perched on a mound overlooks the beach and offers a particularly photogenic viewpoint, especially at sunset over the Bou Grara lagoon, when the low light illuminates the white façades. Access is free, but facilities are rare to non-existent depending on the season — it's precisely this bareness that gives the place all its charm, far from the beach shelters and street vendors found elsewhere on the island. Count on a good supply of water and sunscreen, as no shop is guaranteed on site. The most reliable landmark for getting there remains the small Sidi Jmour fishing harbour, where a few traditional boats in the region's typical blue, white and red still moor.
Sidi Jmour, a small white mosque perched facing the Bou Grara lagoon
How to plan your visit to the west coast
The west coast lends itself well to a day trip from Houmt Souk or Midoun, combining Sidi Jmour with a stop in the village of Ajim, the departure point for the ferry linking Djerba to the mainland, and the Bou Grara lagoon, renowned for its sunsets. Unlike the east coast, the range of restaurants and accommodation here remains limited: better to plan a picnic and head back to sleep in Midoun's hotel zone or Houmt Souk's medina. It's precisely this lack of tourist infrastructure that preserves the area's authenticity — best reserved for travellers seeking calm rather than those looking for sunbeds and water sports.