Béjaïa Province · Algeria
Béjaïa travel guide
Béjaïa is a city in Béjaïa Province, Algeria, home to about 176,000 people.
- Best months
- April to June, September and October
- Nearest airport
- BJA4 km · Soummam–Abane Ramdane Airport
- Currency
- DZDAlgerian dinar
- Time zone
- Africa/Algiers
- Language
- Arabic, Standard Algerian Berber
About
About Béjaïa
Béjaïa is the largest principally Kabyle-speaking city (a Berber language) in the Kabylia region of Algeria. The Soummam river runs past the city. The city centre of Béjaïa is made up of the colonial district and the old town, the medina, itself largely redesigned by the urban layouts of the time of the Spanish Empire, then of French Algeria. The old town is backed by the Gouraya massif. This sector retains some vestiges of the ancient (notably on the archaeological level) or medieval buildings. The districts of Acherchour, Karamane and Bab El Louz still have Moorish houses.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Béjaïa
See
The town is overlooked by the mountain Yemma Gouraya, whose profile is said to resemble a sleeping woman. Other nearby scenic spots include the Aiguades beach and the Pic des Singes (Peak of the Monkeys); the latter site is a habitat for the endangered Barbary macaque. All three of these geographic features are located in the Gouraya National Park. Borj Moussa museum, housed in an old Spanish fort from the 16th century and where prehistoric Roman and Hafsid era remains are presented. The museum also houses a collection of birds and insects from all over Africa, as well as paintings by Maurice Boitel, on loan from the museum of Algiers.
Do
Climb the mountain next to town. Most locals will drive to the highest parking lot and only do the last part on foot. There are also some shared taxis that go there.
- Yemma Gouraya castle
- Pic des singes
- Cap Carbon
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Béjaïa
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Béjaïa are April to June, September and October. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; December is the wettest, with about 100 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Béjaïa: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Soummam–Abane Ramdane Airport (BJA), about 4.3 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ain Arnat Airport (QSF, 68 km) and Jijel Ferhat Abbas Airport (GJL, 72 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
The city of Béjaïa is connected to Algiers, Tizi Ouzou, Bouira, Sétif, Jijel and several Kabyle localities by an important road network.
Getting around
There are frequent buses within the city, costing 20 dinar. There are no buses within the national park.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
BJA · Soummam–Abane Ramdane Airport
QSF · Ain Arnat Airport
GJL · Jijel Ferhat Abbas Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Béjaïa
Eat
Northeast Algeria is known for its delicious sea food. They are tons and tons of options. Seafood is usually served in restaurants or small food trucks as either a main dish, snack, appetizer, or soup. They’re a lot of restaurants that sell pizzas or grills. They’re also a lot of meat and vegan restaurants all around the city.
Drink
As in all Algeria, Algerian tea “Atay” are sold everywhere. From grocery stores to cafeterias to high end restaurants. It is really worth trying and it’s usually cheap.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Béjaïa: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Béjaïa?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Béjaïa are April to June, September and October. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; December is the wettest, with about 100 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Béjaïa?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Soummam–Abane Ramdane Airport (BJA), about 4.3 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ain Arnat Airport (QSF, 68 km) and Jijel Ferhat Abbas Airport (GJL, 72 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Béjaïa?
Algerian dinar (DZD).
Nearby
Destinations near Béjaïa
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.