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    Sfax
    Houssem Abida / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Tunisia

    Sfax

    City

    Sfax, with approximately 274,000 inhabitants (2024 Census), is Tunisia's second-largest city, located about 270 kilometers southeast of Tunis on the Gulf of Gabès.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Tunisia
    7. Sahel & Kairouan
    9. Sfax
    Sfax, with approximately 274,000 inhabitants (2024 Census), is Tunisia's second-largest city, located about 270 kilometers southeast of Tunis on the Gulf of Gabès. Its Medina is still completely enclosed by a roughly 2.75-kilometer-long city wall with 69 towers and is largely untouched by tourism.Sfax is a commercial and port city: Its port is one of the country's most important fishing ports, and about 40 percent of Tunisian olive oil originates from the surrounding area. You can explore the Old City with its Great Mosque, Kasbah, and Dar Jellouli on foot, and ferries depart from the port to the Kerkennah Islands.

    Sights in Sfax

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Dar Jellouli
    Museum

    1Dar Jellouli

    The Sfax Museum of Traditional Arts is housed in a historic townhouse right in the heart of the Medina. Its entrance hall, the Driba, has been a listed monument since 1928.
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    Bab Diwan
    Historic Landmark

    2Bab Diwan

    One of the two original city gates, also known as Bab el Bhar, the Sea Gate. Right next to it, Café Diwan with its rooftop terrace is built into the city wall.
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    Great Mosque of Sfax

    3Great Mosque of Sfax

    The Medina's oldest and most important structure likely dates to 849. Its minaret is three-tiered; the mosque received its current form during 1758 and 1774 expansions.
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    Kasbah of Sfax

    4Kasbah of Sfax

    The Kasbah at the south-western corner of the city wall began as an Aghlabid watchtower and later served as town hall and barracks. Since the 1980s it has housed a museum of traditional Sfax architecture.
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    Restaurants in Sfax

    1

    La Voile Blanche

    Fish restaurant in the north of the city, one of the best-rated in Sfax on Tripadvisor. The menu features grilled fish and seafood pasta.
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    2

    Saffoud Abid

    Grill restaurant near the Medina, known for grilled meat.
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    3

    Restaurant TonTon

    Italian cuisine with fish and seafood. Ground floor for takeaway; upstairs for served dining.
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    4

    Restaurant Cercina

    Mid-range restaurant serving fish and Mediterranean dishes, south of the Medina.
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    Culture and History

    A Medina in Everyday LifeThe Medina dates back to the year 849, when a ribat was first built under the Aghlabid Emir Abu l-Abbas. Its present-day wall largely dates from 1306, is 7 to 11 meters high, and has been protected as a national monument since 1912.Souks: around 30 markets, organised by trade, the most important being Souk ErbaaGates: Bab Jebli in the north and Bab Diwan towards the sea are the two original city gatesStatus: on UNESCO's Tentative List for World Heritage since 2012Museums in Historic HousesThe Dar Jellouli, a traditional townhouse, now houses the Museum of Traditional Arts of Sfax. The Kasbah, located at the southwestern corner of the wall, is home to a museum on the architecture of Sfax.Economy and the SeaOlive processing, fishing, and phosphate define the city.

    Arrival and Getting Around

    Getting ThereTrain: SNCFT connects Sfax with Tunis, Sousse, El Djem, and Gabès; the station is north of the city center. The “Confort” class is the most comfortable.Louage: Shared taxis depart from the west end of Avenue Bourguiba, about 1.5 kilometers from the station, once they are full.Plane: Sfax-Thyna Airport is located southwest of the city and has only a few connections.Around TownYou can explore the Medina on foot; taxis will take you to the bus stations. Sonotrak company ferries to the Kerkennah Islands depart from the ferry terminal south of the Medina; crossings are canceled during storms.

    Accommodations in Sfax

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      • 1Dar Jellouli3 days
      • 2Bab Diwan4 days
      • 3Great Mosque of Sfax5 days
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    Nearby

    Kerkennah Islands

    Kerkennah Islands

    The Kerkennah Islands are located in the Gulf of Gabès off Sfax and are reachable by ferry from Sfax. This flat archipelago is a tranquil destination away from the major seaside resorts and is known for Charfia fishing, which has been a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2020.The two main islands, Gharbi and Chergui, together cover approximately 160 square kilometers and are home to around 15,400 people (2024 census). The largest town is Remla on Chergui, and sandy beaches are found primarily around Sidi Fredj.
    El Djem

    El Djem

    The Amphitheatre of El Djem is one of the largest in the Roman world, situated in a small town in the Sahel, about an hour by train south of Sousse. It was built in the first half of the 3rd century in ancient Thysdrus and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. With the same ticket, you can visit the Archaeological Museum with its mosaics and a reconstructed Roman villa.
    Mahdia

    Mahdia

    Mahdia lies on a narrow peninsula on the east coast and is the southern terminus of the Metro du Sahel from Sousse and Monastir. The Fatimids founded the city as their capital in 916; the fortified gate Skifa el Kahla and the Great Mosque date from that time. North of the old town stretch white sandy beaches with hotels; the port is among Tunisia's largest fishing ports.
    Sahel & Kairouan

    Sahel & Kairouan

    The Sahel is the coastal plain in eastern Tunisia, home to Sousse, Monastir, and Mahdia, a good two hours by train south of Tunis. Inland lie two of the country's most famous World Heritage Sites: the Medina of Kairouan with its Great Mosque and the Roman Amphitheatre of El Djem. Behind the beaches, olive groves stretch over flat hills.
    Djerba

    Djerba

    Djerba is a flat island in the Gulf of Gabès, in southeastern Tunisia, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2023. You go there for long sandy beaches on the northeast coast, the souks of Houmt Souk, and villages like Erriadh and Guellala, where Jewish, Ibadite, and Berber traditions coexist. The island, covering approximately 514 km², has a population of just under 190,000 (2024 census). Its main town is Houmt Souk in the north, and hotels are primarily located along the coast around Sidi Mahrez. Public transport is limited; most journeys are made by taxi, rental car, or bicycle.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Google Maps. Each photo carries its credit.
    • Place data such as addresses and ratings comes from Google Maps.
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI