Unlike many North African medinas that evolved organically into confusing tangles, Sfax's old quarter follows a surprisingly logical layout. The main gate, Bab Diwan, opens onto streets that branch in patterns discoverable after a few hours of wandering. Cultural centers like Dar Siala and the Maison de la Photographie, housed in restored traditional buildings, offer respite and context. The Archaeological Museum within the Kasbah maps the sacred sites scattered through the old city. Tourists are few here, and those who come find themselves welcomed with genuine curiosity rather than commercial aggression. Budget hotels cluster just inside Bab Diwan, offering basic accommodations for those who want to wake within the walls. The seafood restaurant Chez Chouaib serves the fresh catch that has sustained this coastal city since antiquity, while Cafe Lemdina provides coffee and culture in equal measure.

Eight times daily, ferries depart Sfax for the Kerkennah Islands, an archipelago where traditional fishing methods survive in waters that shimmer blue and green in the afternoon sun. The crossing takes less than an hour, depositing travelers at islands where the pace slows to something approaching stillness. Hotel Cercina offers tea overlooking the bay, while walks along the beach lead to the old Bourj with its Roman ruins. Back on the mainland, Sfax serves as the jumping-off point for southern Tunisia's most dramatic landscapes. Trains run south to Gabes, gateway to the Ksour district and the locations where Star Wars was filmed among Berber granaries. The town of Matmata, reachable via Gabes, features the underground dwellings that served as Luke Skywalker's childhood home. For those with appropriate visas, the coastal road continues east into Libya.

Getting to Sfax requires patience with Tunisian transportation. Trains connect the city to El Djem, Sousse, and Tunis, with three classes of service: second, first, and Confort, the last being a smaller section of first-class cars where inspectors actually enforce seat assignments. The SNTRI bus station handles long-distance routes, though its location over the train tracks from the city center makes taxis advisable in summer heat. Louages, minibuses that depart when full, offer another option from a station at the western end of Avenue Bourguiba. Within the city, taxis are cheap, with rides downtown costing less than two dinars. Public buses exist but run irregularly and crowded. The train station sits just north of center, a practical landmark for orientation. Those continuing to the Kerkennah Islands will find the Sonotrak ferry terminal on Avenue Mohamed Hedi Khefacha, where the rhythm of departures structures the day's possibilities.