Algeria is the largest country in Africa, stretching from the Mediterranean coast deep into the Sahara. Much of the country is desert, but Algeria’s landscape is remarkably varied, with enormous sand dunes, rugged mountain ranges, ancient rock formations, fertile northern regions, and cities shaped by thousands of years of history.
My trip took me from the Mediterranean coast into some of the most remote parts of the Sahara. Along the way I explored ancient cities, oasis towns, dramatic ravines, prehistoric rock art, and desert landscapes that looked almost unreal.
These are the places I explored in Algeria.
Explore the Sahara
Algeria contains an enormous section of the Sahara, with landscapes ranging from vast fields of sand dunes to isolated mountain ranges and dramatic sandstone formations. One of the most fascinating regions I visited was in the southeast, where the desert is filled with towering rock formations, colorful sand, and ancient paintings left behind thousands of years ago.
This was easily one of the most memorable parts of my trip through Algeria and one of the most spectacular desert landscapes I’ve ever explored.
Explore Djanet
Djanet is an oasis town deep in southeastern Algeria and one of the main gateways into the surrounding Sahara. For many travelers, the town is less the final destination than the place where a desert expedition begins or ends.
Still, Djanet has plenty of character of its own. Mountains rise directly around the town, traditional adobe buildings survive among the newer neighborhoods, and after days in the desert it was a welcome place to slow down, eat a real meal, and return to civilization for a while.
Explore Algiers
Algeria’s capital sits along the Mediterranean and feels completely different from the Sahara farther south. Algiers is a dense coastal city of white buildings, steep streets, historic neighborhoods, mosques, museums, and architecture shaped by the many civilizations that have controlled this part of North Africa.
After spending so much time in the desert, arriving in Algiers felt like entering another country entirely. The Mediterranean, crowded streets, and layers of Roman, Islamic, Ottoman, French, and modern Algerian history gave me a completely different side of Algeria to explore.
Explore Constantine
Constantine was one of the most dramatic cities I visited anywhere in North Africa. Much of the city sits above deep ravines carved through the surrounding rock, with bridges connecting neighborhoods high above the gorge below.
The city has existed in one form or another for more than two thousand years, but it was the geography that immediately grabbed my attention. Constantine’s famous bridges cross enormous drops throughout the city, giving it the nickname City of Bridges and making even an ordinary walk through town feel spectacular.
