The Algerian Sahara, the second largest desert in the world, covers nearly 2 million square meters and contains a rich and diverse natural, cultural and historical heritage. Saharan tourism is an essential element of the Algerian tourist product.
There are five classified cultural parks: the Tassili Park in the wilaya of Illizi, the Hoggar in the wilaya of Tamanrasset, the M’Zab Valley in the wilaya of Ghardaïa, and the Saharan Atlas cultural park in the parks of Touat, Gourara and Tidikelt.
The Sahara offers an ideal setting to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. A true jewel of Algerian tourism, the Sahara covers four-fifths of the national territory.
This immense desert, one of the richest biodiversity reserves in the world, provides a unique setting for ecological tourism. Among its most famous sites is the Hoggar in the Tamanrasset region, a circular plateau with a diameter of over 130 km and culminating at 2,000 meters, whose highest point, the Atacor, exceeds 2,500 meters.
Among the most attractive sites of the Algerian Sahara is undoubtedly the Assekrem height, which offers, according to many, the most beautiful sunsets in the world. Tassili N’Ajjer, also a famous region of the Algerian Sahara, is home to inestimable treasures: prehistoric rock paintings, testimonies of the human genius of that time, which have been the subject of in-depth studies in many countries. Oases:
Oases, with their verdant palm groves and ancient ksours, captivate visitors with their striking beauty. These thousand-year-old Saharan cities, with their authentic architecture that has braved time and the rigors of the climate, are essential stops on the Route des Ksours, a unique exploration circuit that crosses the wilayas of Béchar, Naama and El Oued.
The Sahara is much more than just a desert. It is a space of freedom, conducive to escape, curiosity and discovery. It offers visitors moments of relaxation, pleasure and contemplation.
Numerous hiking and exploration trails crisscross the desert, inviting visitors to discover the M’Zab Valley, the Touat, the Gourara, the Saoura, the Oued Souf region and, of course, the Route des Ksours.
The Sahara is a haven of peace for a fauna and flora of great diversity and rarity that populate this vast arid expanse. While the camel is the emblematic animal of the Algerian Sahara, the desert is also home to many threatened and protected species, such as the cheetah, the golden eagle, the addax, the fennec fox, the Barbary sheep, the sand cat, the Saharan zebra and the dama gazelle.
There is also a great variety of birds, such as the houbara bustard and the imperial eagle, as well as fish such as the common barbel and many reptiles, including snakes and scorpions.
Saharan tourism offers visitors an unforgettable experience, marked by the discovery of grandiose landscapes, thousand-year-old cultural sites and unique fauna and flora in the world.
Whether you are a hiking, adventure, culture lover or simply looking for relaxation and a change of scenery, the Algerian Sahara has something to offer you.