Ténès, the mythical city of a thousand and one legends

"Ténès, the mythical city of a thousand and one legends"

7-day tour

Day 1:

Chlef airport/Ténès

Arrive at Chlef airport from Paris or Marseille, greeted by our local guide, transfer to Ténès and check into hotel. Lunch or dinner depending on your flight schedule.

In the afternoon, visit the town center, the ramparts, the Pointe des blagueurs, the museum, the Place des Martyrs, the Hakim Moubine mosque (former church). Return to your hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2:

Discover and explore Ténès

After breakfast, visit Notre Dame de Ténès, Marabout de sidi Abdelkader (panoramic view of Ténès and old Ténès, old railroad line and landscapes). Lunch with a traditional Ténès menu.

Afternoon: Hike along the old railroad line, 7km to the central beach (history and nature on the Kayser mountains). Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3:

Cultural and countryside visits

After a traditional breakfast, visit the old town of Ténès (Bab El bhar, the Rahba, the Turkish cannons, the mosques, Bordj El ghoula, the narrow streets, discover the different traditions and customs of Ténès and its region.

Afternoon: visit to the plain of Sidi Akkacha (Marabout) (formerly Montenotte, founded in 1848 and named after Bonaparte's victory over the Austrians in Italy in 1796), followed by a visit to the flitta valley in the countryside. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4:

Day excursion Cherchell/Tipaza

After breakfast, departure by vehicle for the ancient city of Cherchell (Caesarea of Mauretania, founded in the 4th century BC and renamed by Juba II, King of Numidia), Cherchell was the capital of the Roman province of Caesarian Mauretania. Visit to the national public archaeological museum. Lunch with a special fish menu.

Afternoon: Return to Sidi-Rached to discover and visit the Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania, nicknamed the Tomb of the Christian or Tomb of the "Roumiya" (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Cleopatra Selene II (daughter of Cleopatra) is buried in this mausoleum. Return to Tipaza for a tour of the Roman ruins and remains, and a visit to the port. Return to Ténès. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5:

Visit and discovery of Cap Ténès

After breakfast, departure for the Bissa Mountains, located in the heart of the Dahra mountain region, to visit a disused colonial-era military barracks. Return to Ténès. Lunch on board.

Afternoon: Visit to Cap Ténès (the lighthouse, built in 1861 in colonial times, was the first lighthouse in Algeria), caves, beautiful coves, local flora and fauna), stroll to the cale génoise. Traditional coffee break. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 6 :

After breakfast, visit Beni Haoua with its winding roads, exceptional panoramic views, countless pretty coves, beaches and forest. Visit the mausoleum of Yemma binette (phonetic deformation of "Yemma l'bnat", meaning mother of daughters), a Christian nun of Dutch nationality who later converted to Islam. The ship carrying "Yemma binette" and 6 other nuns ran aground just off the coast of Beni Haoua around 1802. Lunch in the open air at the Traghnia waterfalls.

Return to Ténès. Free time. Dinner followed by a musical evening with the Aissaoua troupe. Overnight stay.

Day 7:

Ténès/Chlef airport

After breakfast, transfer to Chlef airport, escort and assistance until boarding.

For the real comfort of tourists, specialists in the region recommend making this trip during the off-season, so as to fully enjoy the sites to be visited and to discover the traditions and customs of the region as close as possible to the local population. The recommended period for this type of trip, to places steeped in culture, rich in heritage and steeped in ancestral history, is from September to November.

Ténès is located equidistant from Algiers and Oran (about 300 kms from the capital and 250 from Oran). For reasons of comfort and logistics, it is preferable to arrive in Algeria via Chlef international airport. The French airports of Paris Charles De Gaulle (2h45) and Marseille (1h30) serve this airport, with one flight a day to each destination.