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Where is the country of Algeria located? Algeria is the largest country on the African continent and is one of the ten largest countries in the world. Algeria has to deal with fairly large differences in climate, where it is very difficult to define exact boundaries where one climate type ends and the next begins. In some parts of the country they really intertwine and especially the height and the location in relation to mountains and plateaus are very decisive for the climate picture. In the north there is a Mediterranean climate, in the mountains a high mountain climate and/or a desert climate, in the northeast a subtropical climate, in a number of areas spread over Algeria a steppe climate and in the southwest a desert climate.

The lowest area of ​​Algeria is almost forty meters below sea level (in the northeast) and the highest point is in the Ahagger massif in the southeast, at three kilometers altitude. The Atlas Mountains are located in the north of Algeria, which largely blocks the influences and precipitation of the Mediterranean Sea.

Heat

In the lower areas it can easily get between 40 and 50 degrees in summer. Sometimes the thermometer rises even further than fifty degrees. In the high mountains and along the coast it is a lot more bearable, although it also gets hot there in the period May-October.

Chili

Like neighboring Libya, Algeria regularly suffers from a sirocco, which in Algeria is called chili (in Libya ghibli). This strong desert wind from the south to southwest brings large amounts of red Sahara sand with high wind speeds. When the chili is blowing, it’s almost impossible to go out on the street. Sight is virtually obscured and breathing is no fun. Certainly not if the temperature also rises rapidly towards 40-50 degrees during this period. After a day or two to four, the misery is usually over.

Rain

Precipitation figures across the country vary widely. In the interior, the amount of precipitation is generally limited to a few tens of millimeters on an annual basis; some regions hardly ever see rain. It’s a different story along the coast. For example, the eastern part of the coast, roughly between the capital Algiers and the port city of Skikda, has to process more than a thousand millimeters of rain on an annual basis, which mainly falls in winter.

Snow

You have to see it with your own eyes to believe it, but snow is falling in Algeria. In the higher areas, snow regularly falls in winter and frost is not a strange phenomenon. There are even places in the mountains where you can occasionally ski. Winter sports in Algeria is really something that few people know is possible. Exceptionally, it can sometimes snow north of the Little Atlas, so snow is signaled along the coast of Algeria. It only happens once in a while and gives a very special sight.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Best time to visit Algeria

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Algeria? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. Algeria is not an everyday travel destination. Although it is quite close in distance, tourism in this North African country is so underdeveloped that people do not travel here en masse. The climate of Algeria is quite diverse, but it is mainly characterized by mild winters and warm summers. Those who want to visit Algeria can do so all year round, but you should definitely take into account a number of extreme weather conditions that can occur. For example, there is too much precipitation in the winter months and it is also too cold for a winter sun holiday. It can snow in the higher areas and in combination with strong winds there can even be heavy snow storms. But snow can also disrupt daily life in the lower parts, although this is very exceptional.

In the summer months it is almost without exception too hot in the interior. In the Sahara desert the thermometers can easily rise to about 40 to 50 degrees and it is uncomfortably hot. Along the coast it is often still bearable.

Best months

The best time to visit Algeria is in the spring ( April, May ) or the autumn ( September, October ). However, there is a chance of a desert wind that can ensure that large sand clouds make it almost impossible to get out on the streets and almost completely paralyze public life. This sirocco wind is called Chergui in Algeria. The word Chile, used in neighboring Tunisia, is also used. This dry hot Sahara wind sometimes suddenly picks up and can cause a significant sudden increase in temperature.

Algeria as a sun destination

If you want to fly to the Algerian coast to enjoy a holiday in the sun, you can do so from May to October. If you want to have a limited chance of rain showers during your beach holiday, June to mid-September is the best time to travel to Algeria.