Know Before You Go

Ask for a room away from the boulevard when booking and again at check in. The noise from the main road is the most frequent complaint, and a rear room can make the difference between a good and a bad night.

Bring enough Algerian dinars in cash. Cards are rarely accepted in hotels and shops, and some booking sites note that the hotel takes payment in cash only.

Visit Hippo Regius and the Basilica of Saint Augustine in the morning. The site is calm and the views over the bay from the basilica are best in morning light.

Try grilled fish in the restaurants of the port and chorba with bourek in a local eatery. In the evening, a coffee on the Cours de la Révolution is the classic Annaba experience.

Plan beach days on weekdays in summer. Weekends bring large crowds of families from across eastern Algeria, and roads to the coast become congested.

Carry your passport at all times. Hotels register foreign guests with the authorities, and police checkpoints may ask for identification.

Drive up to Seraïdi in the late afternoon for cooler air and sunset views over Annaba. The mountain road starts close to the hotel, and the return in the dark should be driven slowly.