Algiers’ heat is tempered slightly along the beach front, though the city is still rather hot in the summer. August is the warmest month, and January the least warm, with temperatures in the former often breaking the ninety degree mark while those in the latter dipping shallow into the fifties.Due to this mild winter weather, Algiers makes for an excellent change of pace for those coming from colder countries between November and March. Rainfall is heavy some years, and most of it takes place during the winter. Algeria has many important dates on its calendar around which visitors may consider setting their itineraries.
July 5 is the country’s independence day and is very festive. Similar holidays include November 1’s dedication to remembrance of the Revolutionary War against the French and June 19’s National Day. Islamic holidays fall on different days each year but remain solemn times for the capital. Check for this year’s dates for Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr—a few shops and commercial establishments may be closed during this time. February 10 is the Islamic New Year and is a little more celebratory than the above floating high holy days.
Algiers Tourist Board :
The official site for tourism for both the country of Algeria and its capital Algiers is not all that helpful—there are many bad links, and pretty much everything is in French, and while it would be advisable to know French or Arabic before coming to Algeria (as most there will not know English), if you do not speak this language this site is hard to navigate. To find information regarding government in Algiers, check here .
Algeria.com leads to some fairly decent information on the country, in English, and is particularly helpful when regarding safety and getting around . Prior to visiting the city, it would be most advisable to know the status of current political events in the region, as the country is still reeling from the effects of a relatively fresh civil war. A good place to go for news and current events would be the online portal for the Algerian Press Service . Algerian radio is an option as well.
Algiers Arriving and Departing :
To get to Algiers, one can fly in from Europe, though there are no direct flights from the Western Hemisphere. There are, however, daily incoming and outgoing services to the neighboring North African cultural centers of Tunis and Casablanca , should you find those to be easier places to get to. Coming to Algiers by road from Tunis or Morocco is not, however, always an easy trip, given what effect recent civil woes have had on border patrol. Getting to and from Algeria via Mauritania, Niger, Libya, and Mail is even more difficult. Another option is ferry service from Marseille and Sete, though this is not the most affordable way to go. Similar launch points for ferries exist in Spanish cities such as Alicante and Palma. Heading into Algiers from other areas of the country is do-able, though visitors are discouraged from heading to rural areas of the country because they tend to be less safe .
