Sidi Bou Said is a must on every Tunisia itinerary, and it has been so for decades. Artists and travelers – they all appreciated this little town for its sunny aspect and a gorgeous view over the Bay of Tunis sparkling with impossible shades of blue. Simone de Beauvoir and Flaubert, Matisse and Chateaubriand – these are just some of the examples of loud names that came to enjoy the joyful contrast of blue and white highlighted by the color of oranges and delicious smells coming from the hidden gardens or orange trees blossom.

Now it is our turn to enjoy the town so loved by the bohemians of last centuries. Sidi Bou Said does feel touristy, but in some relaxed and cheerful way – even its souvenir shops are as beautiful as its colorful and mostly blue doors, each of them being a separate artwork.

Doubtlessly, its colors that makes one think of Santorini or Mykonos in Greece. By the way, there is a story behind it.

In 1907 Rodolphe d’Erlanger – a French baron and patron of the arts moved to Sidi Bou Said. It was he, who suggested and funded the blue and white color scheme. Later the town got included into the UNESCO world heritage together with the Archaeological site of Carthage – that was a nice initiative after all, wasn’t it? As the Baron was also a musicologist and painter, he hosted a lot of artists of various kinds in his palace Dar Ennejma Ezzhara, which means the Star of Venus or Sparkling Star. Today it is a Museum of Arab and Mediterranean Music and it is worth visiting both for its artefacts and its splendid interior.

As we were based in La Marsa – just in 4 kilometers away, we went twice to Sidi Bou Said by our friend’s car. Luckily, it is also accessible by train and the whole trip takes no more than 25 minutes from Tunis.

Even if the town is small, take some time to properly walk it through, paying attention to every gorgeous door, seen before only on the oriental fairy-tale collections, little gardens, forged balconies and moucharabieh – wooden latticework screens to keep the house cool during the heat. Apart from small houses, Sidi Bou Said has beautiful manors built by the influential people from the capital since the 19th century. In one word, there is a lot to please every fan of architecture and mediterranean spirit.

Make sure to climb to the lighthouse and, a bit further – graveyard by the sea for some breathtaking views over the town and the turquoise Bay of Tunis.

Visit the Museum of Arab and Mediterranean Music or some other Dars (manors) of Sidi Bou Said like Dar El-Annabi or Dar El-Jaziri.

Have lunch at one of the numerous terrasse restaurants and cafés of Sidi Bou Said, enjoy typical Tunisian cuisine and grab a mint tea at Café des Nattes.

Go down the stairs along thousands of cacti to the beach and the marina of Sidi Bou Said. Fishing boats, nets and a great occasion to walk in the sea in case if the temperature doesn’t allow proper swimming.

Try Stand-Up-Paddle! It was in Tunisia that we tried our very first SUP and if you fancy this kind of sport, note the address! We enjoyed it, even if we ended up in the cold April sea (with my favourite sunglasses as a casualty!)

Buy a bunch of jasmine flowers to put behind you ear – a perfect way to pass off as a local! Plus, it’s supposed to bring luck, so the profit is obvious! 😀

Check out our articles about Tunisia, where we share our 5 days itinerary and a truly amazing day in the Medina of Tunis.