The cedar forest
Tall trees in the mist.
RAHMOUNE Ayoub — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Belkacem Gherrous — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Amiir Bouzid — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Silia Azouz — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kebbab abdelaziz — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kebbab abdelaziz — CC BY-SA 3.0
Chréa National Park is a green mountain area above Blida, close to Algiers, known for its old Atlas cedar forests. It has covered 36,985 hectares since it was founded in 1997, serves as a retreat from the capital's heat, and lies under snow in winter. The park is in the Blidean Atlas, part of the Tell Atlas. It has more than 1,240 plant and animal species, among them the Atlas cedar and the endangered Barbary macaque. It holds the Chréa ski station, one of the few in Africa relying on natural snow, and the Chiffa grotto. Striped hyenas and Barbary stags also live here. You travel misty roads between tall cedars, with shady walking paths through them. In spring small waterfalls run, and in winter branches bend under the snow. At the top are small houses and restaurants with steep roofs, and from the heights a wide view takes in mountains and, on clear days, the plain below. Fog is common here and gives the place its own mood. The park is 6.4 km in a straight line south-east of Blida and 40.6 km south-west of Algiers. A mountain road reaches it, and a cable car links it to Blida when running, so check first. It gets crowded on snow holidays, so start early. Do not feed or touch the monkeys, and bring warm clothes, as it is far colder than in town.
Tall trees in the mist.
Natural snow in winter.
An endangered species living here.
Blidean Atlas, Blida Province
Yes, it is about 41 km away in a straight line.
Usually in winter, with amounts varying from year to year.