Chrea National Park

Chrea covers the highest part of the Blida Atlas an hour south of Algiers, rising to over sixteen hundred metres, and it is best known for two things that rarely go together: Atlas cedar forest and snow. The cedars grow on the upper slopes among holm oak and juniper, sheltering Barbary macaques that come to the roadside, and in winter enough snow falls that a small ski station operates, one of very few anywhere in Africa. Below the summit the land drops sharply into the Chiffa gorge on one side and toward the Mitidja plain on the other, and on clear days the view runs to the sea. The park was designated a biosphere reserve for the cedar stands.

What you actually see

• Atlas cedar forest - the stands the park was protected for.
• Barbary macaques - troops along the upper road and forest edge.
• Winter snow and a small ski station - a rare combination on this continent.
• Views to the Mitidja plain - the drop from the ridge on clear days.

When to go

April to June and September to November for walking; January and February for snow, when the road can be blocked. A day from Algiers. Weekends bring city crowds.

Honest expectations

The road up is narrow, winding and busy at weekends. Snow cover is unreliable and the ski facilities are basic. Macaques near the road are fed by visitors, which makes them bold and occasionally aggressive. Cedar stands have suffered from drought and fire.

Nearby

Chiffa gorge is west; Blida lies below to the north.