Chiffa Gorge

The Chiffa gorge cuts through the Blida Atlas between the Mitidja plain and Medea, a steep defile with the road running beside the river under high rock walls. Partway along it, at a place known as the monkeys' stream, a troop of Barbary macaques comes down to the roadside and to a picnic area beside the water, and stopping to see them has been a fixed excursion from Algiers for over a century. The Barbary macaque is the only macaque in Africa and is now endangered, with populations in Algeria and Morocco under pressure. Chrea national park lies on the ridge above, reached by a road climbing out of the gorge.

The landscape

• Macaques at the roadside stream - the troop that meets visitors.
• High rock walls above the road - the defile through the Atlas.
• The picnic area by the water - the traditional stopping point.
• The climb to Chrea - the road up to the cedar forest above.

When to go

April to June and September to November; summer is hot and crowded. Two to three hours as a stop. Mornings are best. Do not feed the animals.

What to expect

Feeding the macaques is common, harmful and makes them aggressive; bags are snatched and bites happen. The site is heavily littered. The road is narrow with lorry traffic and stopping is awkward. The species is endangered and the roadside scene is not conservation.

Nearby

Blida is north; Chrea national park lies on the ridge above.