Kerkennah Islands

The Kerkennah islands lie about twenty kilometres off Sfax, so flat that nowhere rises more than 13 metres above sea level and so shallow around them that the water stays waist-deep a long way out. That shallowness produced the fishing method the islands are known for: charfia, fixed traps built from palm fronds driven into the seabed in long V-shaped fences that funnel fish into chambers, a technique that has been used for centuries.

What you'll find

• The charfia traps - palm-frond fish fences built into the shallow seabed.
• The date palms - groves covering much of the flat island interior.
• The shallow water - a sea that stays waist-deep for a very long way out.
• The quiet villages - small settlements with almost no development.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the most comfortable. Summer is very hot and humid. Ferries run several times a day but fill in season.

Good to know

There are no beaches in the conventional sense; the shore is muddy and shallow. Accommodation and food options are very limited. Ferries can be cancelled in wind and are crowded in summer.

Nearby

Sfax is on the mainland, and El Jem is northwest.

Key facts