Exploring Annaba in Algeria
If you've ever pondered what to do with your life beyond scrolling through TikTok, let me introduce you to Annaba, a coastal city in Algeria that has a way of surprising you. When most people hear "Algeria," they conjure images of dunes, camels, or a really lengthy game of hide-and-seek on the beach. Annaba, meanwhile, gently disregards all of that and chooses to be a vibrant coastal town with palm trees, beaches, and an unabashed love for seafood.
The sea will be the first thing you see as you get here. It's the blue that causes you to doubt every beach photo you've ever snapped and to wonder if your camera is deceiving you. Local people appear to prefer Plage Ain Achir, and it's easy to understand why. Waves that really make you want to swim, sand that really feels like sand, and none of that strange plastic junk you see on most "paradise beaches." Bring sunscreen, since, sure, you will regret it if you believe you can be a hero and avoid it.
But Annaba is more than just lounging on the beach and acting as though you're in a shampoo commercial. There's also history here. Rising to Saint Augustine's Basilica, which is on a hill overlooking the city, will make you feel both heroic and somewhat breathless. It's one of those areas where you believe I could either study some philosophy and be enlightened or Instagram it. Both, to be honest, work well. Close by, the ruins of Hippo Regius murmur stories of Romans, and if you look intently enough, you can almost make out the faint echoes of toga parties.
Annaba eats a lot of food for a city of its size. Fish so fresh you could want to thank the ocean itself abounds at seafood markets. Grilled sardines, calamari, and prawns from local restaurants will make you rethink every fast-food dinner you've ever had. And let's not even talk about the couscous. Let's say your food goes on a brief vacation, and you'll forgive yourself at once.
Just getting around is a journey in and of itself. Pedestrians have a laid-back attitude toward traffic that tests your reflexes in ways no video game can, taxis are eager, and streets are busy. More than I can say for my efforts at parallel parking, it's disorganised, lovely, and somewhat successful.
Annaba evenings are ideal for walking along the corniche, drinking coffee, or observing neighbourhood families laugh in the salty wind. Watching life unfold at a slower speed as the Mediterranean sun melts into the horizon gives one a sense of grounding. You might expect to find big tourist traps, but what you actually leave with is something more quiet—a city that wears its beauty gently and laughs at your efforts to fit everything into one picture.
Pack a hat, have an open mind, and get ready for a city that might not rule your Instagram feed but will gradually steal a piece of your heart. Annaba is not compelled to yell. It already knows how beautiful it is.
