Tunisia's second-largest city is not packaged for tourism the way other coastal cities are, but we think Sfax makes an interesting overnight stop when traveling between the north and south of the country. The old walls and arched gates are a nice introduction to the medina. The casbah has a museum of architecture, and the view from atop the walls is worth the climb. Dar Jellouli is a lovely 17th-century villa with displays of decorative arts and traditions. Sfax's Great Mosque has a three-tier square minaret like the one at Kairouan (non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the mosque). Between sights, shop your way through the souks (markets).
Ferries connect Sfax with the Kerkennah Islands. The chain is made up of several small islands and two large ones, Gharbi and Chargui. These islands have Roman ruins, above-basic hotels, vineyards, fig and palm trees, beaches and fishing. They're relaxing but not terribly exciting. Sfax is 75 mi/120 km south of Sousse and 165 mi/270 km south of Tunis.
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