Djerba (the Faithful)

Djerba the Faithful

Location: Djerba Island (Tunisia)
Type of village: Tents then huts
Year of opening: 1954
Year of closing: 2012

A little history: It all began during the summer of 1953. That summer, two Belgian emissaries, Milou JAHN and André DE BLOOS, sent by Gérard BLITZ, traveled the Mediterranean coasts in search of a place to establish a new village. On recommendation, they arrived in Djerba and found a certain Laris KINDYNIS, a Greek native of the island. (A large Greek community had settled in Djerba at the beginning of the 20th century. The sponge trade was at its peak). Very quickly, contact was made because they were all driven by the same passion: spearfishing.

In 1954, the Djerba village opened with tents provided by TRIGANO on Seghia beach. As the sun is omnipresent in Djerba, the club found a way to provide a little shade by installing the tents under palm leaf roofs leaning against the date palms. Only 2 or 3 permanent buildings respecting the local architecture were built and integrated into the decor (the restaurant, the bar, an office and some toilet blocks).

We're off to Djerba for 43,200 old francs (payable in several monthly installments) and 3 weeks. Spearfishing and bivouacs in caiques on the Gulf of Gabès are on the agenda; waterskiing is very limited because the conditions aren't suitable. The waters off Djerba are clear and teeming with fish. Groupers and stingrays are caught in abundant quantities. Competitions are even held to see who can catch the biggest one; photos of the catches illustrate the Trident.

The first village chief of Djerba is Jean Pierre Becret. He is supported by Jean Balandjian for animation and Christian Papadimitriou, also known as Christian Papa (bar manager). Dominique Lebourgois is also part of the animation team.

Due to some tensions in the industry, the first season has been cut short. We don't want to put the GMs and GOs at risk.

The village reopened in 1955. Polynesian huts replaced the tents. Jean BALANDJIAN was the new village chief, Dominique LEBOURGEOIS was in charge of entertainment, and at the bar, a newcomer with a bright future: Roger CAILLET.

While for the other villages of the Club at the time, the train and the boat were used, the journey to Djerba is made by air. Gérard BLITZ had managed to negotiate with Air France the establishment of a connection with a stopover in Tunis (with a change of aircraft). The DC 3 of Air Tunis (a subsidiary of Air France) landed 3 times a week on the basic runway of Djerba, the rest of the journey being made by caïque to the village.

After a four-year closure due to the Tunisian independence movement, Djerba reopened on June 19, 1960, in a reduced version with the agreement of the Tunisian authorities. Laris Kindynis was the village chief for the year of its reopening.

The name La Fidèle would come a few years later when the club established the second village of Djerba a few kilometers away. Djerba became La Fidèle, in tribute to the loyal GMs who returned there each year, while the new village would take the name La Douce to evoke the mild climate of the Tunisian island.

1998 the transformation of the village

In 1998, work began and the good old Polynesian huts of La Fidèle, without toilets or electricity, were sacrificed and replaced by permanent bungalows, retaining the shape of huts, with amenities and electricity. The project was led by Thierry Fourniret.

In 2012, following the attacks in the Maghreb and the Arab Spring, tourist numbers fell sharply. This forced a number of tour operators and Club Méditerranée to downsize, as they say in the jargon.
Djerba la Fidèle was one of the victims.

Today

Today, Club Med is focusing on Djerba la Douce, which has just been renovated. Djerba la Fidèle is abandoned.
It seems that it is!