Algeria — Where to Go
Top Things to See
• Algiers, the capital, has been a port since Roman times and many impressive ruins can still be seen, such as those at Djemila and Timgad, which are all in good condition because of the dry desert climate. Although commercialized by the French in the mid 19th century, Algiers still has a Maghreb feel to it, with many zig-zag alleyways, mosques, a casbah, medersas (study houses) and the beautiful Turkish houses and palaces much admired by Le Corbusier.
• Within easy reach of Algiers along the coast, Tipasa has exceptional Roman, Punic and Christian ruins, and a Numidian mausoleum.
• The Chiffa Gorges and Kabylia in the mountains provide more rural scenery. Fig and olive groves in summer become ski resorts in the winter.
• The western coast around Oran, Algeria’s second city, has historic remains and mosques.
• Tlemcen was an important imperial city from the 12th to 16th centuries. It stands in the wooded foothills of the Tellian Atlas and is a pleasant retreat from the stifling heat of high summer. Sights include the Grand Mosque, the Mansourah Fortress and the Almohad ramparts.
• Constantine, to the east, is a natural citadel lying across the River Rhumnel. Founded by the Carthaginians, who called it Cirta, it is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Algeria. Sights include the Ahmed Bey Palace (one of the most picturesque in the Maghreb) and the Djamma el-Kebir Mosque.
• In the east of the M’Zab region is Ouargla, referred to as ’the golden key to the desert’. This town is well worth visiting for its malekite (an Islamic sect) minaret overlooking an expansive landscape.
• Deeper into the south lies the town of El Goléa, referred to as ‘the pearl of the desert’ or ‘the enchanted oasis’ because of its luxuriant vegetation and abundant water. The town is dominated by an old ksar (fort), whose ruins are well preserved.
• Further south are the Hoggar Mountains, an impressive, jagged range reaching as far as Libya and surrounded by desert on all sides. It consists of a plateau made of volcanic rock. Eroded cliffs and granite needles form fascinating shapes in pink, blue or black basalt. At the top of the Assekreu nestles the famous refuge of Charles de Foucault at 2,800m (9,259ft). Mount Tahat, which belongs to the Atakor Massif, can be seen in the distance, reaching 3,000m (9,921ft) at its highest point.
Top Things to Do
• Visit Algiers’ Bardo Ethnographic and Local Art Museum and the National Museum of Fine Arts, which are amongst the finest museums in North Africa.
• Within easy reach of Algiers, along the coast, lie some fine resorts. Zeralda is a beach resort with a holiday village and a replica nomad village. To the east of Algiers, the Turquoise Coast offers rocky coves and long beaches within easy reach of the city, equipped with sports, cruise and watersports facilities. The Sidi Fredj peninsula has a marina, an open-air theater and complete amenities, including sporting facilities.
• Along the coast from Oran, which is primarily a business center and an oil depot, there are a number of resorts, many with well-equipped hotels. Notable beaches include Ain El Turk, Les Andalouses, Canastel, Kristel, Mostaganem and Sablettes.
• The Sahara is the most striking and also most forbidding feature of the country. The best way to enter the south is to cross the El Kautara Gorges to the south of Constantine. The sudden glimpse of the Sahara through the El Kautara Gorges is breathtaking. These gorges are said to separate the winter areas from the land of everlasting summer and are called Fouur Es Sahra (’the Sahara’s mouth’) by the inhabitants.
• The special feature of the holy town of Beni-Isguen, not far from Ghardaia, is its permanent auction market.
• Picturesque Tamanrasset, situated at the heart of the Hoggar Mountains, is a large town with many hotels and restaurants. Tourists often stay in ‘Tam’ (as it is sometimes called) and use it as a base for touring the mountains or hiking in the open desert to the south and west in the company of camel drivers who carry their luggage. It is also a popular winter vacation resort. It is visited regularly by the camel caravans of les hommes bleus, blue-robed Touaregs, who are the ancient nomadic inhabitants of this wide region.
• Tour the Tassili N’Ajjer, or ’Plateau of Chasms’, a vast volcanic plateau crossed by massive gorges gouged out by rivers which have long since dried out or gone underground. The Tassili conceals a whole group of entirely unique rupestrian paintings (rock paintings), which go back at least as far as the neolithic age.
