Why visit Annaba
Annaba is the bright Mediterranean corner of Algeria’s far north-east — a port city of clear coves and beaches where one of the great cities of the Roman and early Christian world, Hippo Regius, still lies in the open ground below the hill. Crowned by the white Basilica of St Augustine and backed by the wooded Edough massif, it pairs deep history with an easy seaside atmosphere, close to the Tunisian border.
A short history
The city beside Annaba was Hippo Regius, an important Phoenician and then Roman city, and the seat of Saint Augustine, who was its bishop from 396 until his death in 430. After the Roman and Byzantine ages the medieval town of Bône grew nearby, later an Ottoman and then colonial port. In the late 19th century the Basilica of St Augustine was raised on the hill above the ruins, and modern Annaba became a major industrial and port city of the Algerian east.
What to see
The ruins of Hippo Regius — forum, villas, baths and an early Christian basilica — with its museum; the hilltop Basilica of St Augustine and its views over the bay; the Cours de la Révolution, the city’s grand central promenade; and the coves and beaches of the coast and the Edough peninsula, from city bays to quieter turquoise inlets.
Culture
Annaba keeps the easy, open culture of an eastern Mediterranean port — a seafront life of cafés and promenades, a strong sense of its Roman and Augustinian heritage, and the food and music of the Algerian east.
Food
Coastal eastern cooking: fresh fish and seafood from the port, grills and stews, and the produce of the surrounding plains, finished as ever with sweet mint tea.
Getting there and around
Annaba has an airport with domestic and some international flights, and rail and road links along the eastern coast. It pairs naturally with Constantine and the Roman cities of the east on a wider itinerary. Late spring to early autumn suits the coast; spring and autumn are mild for sightseeing. We arrange a guide and transport.
Practical tips
- Combine the Basilica and Hippo Regius in one visit — they sit together on the same hill.
- Visit the beaches and coves in the warm months; the city and ruins are good year-round.
- Pair Annaba with Constantine and the eastern Roman sites for a complete north-eastern route.
