Fifty kilometres south of Algiers, Chréa sits in the Atlas Blidéen above Blida, inside a national park where Barbary macaques still roam. Two lifts, a short season, and the rare thrill of skiing Mediterranean mountains within sight of the capital.
Chréa is a ski resort in Algeria, in the Algerian Mountains. The village sits at 1500 m and the lifts top out at 1629 m, with 5 km of pistes and 2 lifts. Its BestSnowHotels snow score is 30/100, and the season usually runs Jan 10 → Feb 28.
How we score and classify resortsRun counts and piste kilometres are indicative. Green runs only exist in France, Spain, Andorra, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, the United States, Morocco, Algeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Egypt, Canada, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Chile; Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany start at blue. Indicative average snow depth near the top of the resort, in cm.
A handful of well-rated hotels in and around the resort. Pick one, then compare live prices across Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Good · 170 reviews
A dependable, well-reviewed choice for a stay in Chréa.
Guests rate this hotel as good (3.7/5 from 170 reviews). It sits about 800 m from the slopes. A budget-friendly option for Chréa, with live nightly rates shown for your exact dates so you always see the best price.
Very good · 21 reviews
Strong value for Chréa, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Good · 19 reviews
Moments from the lifts in Chréa, so you can ski back to the door and skip the morning queues.
Ratings from Google, prices indicative per night. Live availability and rates via our booking partners.
A few simple guesthouses sit close to the lifts at the base village, but most visitors drive up from Blida or Algiers on the day. Expect a short walk on snow to the lift rather than true slopeside service.
Chréa rises to 1,629 m with a base near 1,500 m, served by two lifts and about five kilometres of pistes that include a green, two blues and one red. The skiing is short and modest, but the location is genuinely special: pine and cedar forest dropping toward the Mitidja plain, the Mediterranean glimmering in the distance, and Algiers a one-hour drive away. When snow falls, families pour up from Blida and the capital, the small base village fills with grilled meat smoke and laughter, and the slopes briefly come alive. Chréa National Park surrounds the resort, with hiking trails, a Barbary macaque reserve nearby and viewpoints over the Atlas Blidéen. Season is unreliable, typically January and February, sometimes barely opening. Treat Chréa as a winter day trip from Algiers rather than a ski holiday in the alpine sense. The reward is a unique Mediterranean-meets-mountain identity you will not find anywhere else.
Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Everything on our site connected to Chréa: its area, the lists it makes, head-to-heads and trip guides.
Chréa offers 5 km of pistes across 2 lifts, from 1500 m to 1629 m. Whether it suits beginners depends on the dedicated learner zones at the base of the slopes, so check the local ski-school options for green and blue run access.
The season runs from Jan 10 to Feb 28, with a snow score of 30/100. The best conditions are usually from late January through February, while spring skiing in March and April brings longer days and softer afternoons.
A few simple guesthouses sit close to the lifts at the base village, but most visitors drive up from Blida or Algiers on the day. Expect a short walk on snow to the lift rather than true slopeside service.
Chréa has 5 km of marked pistes served by 2 lifts, between 1500 m and 1629 m of altitude.
Chréa counts about 4 marked runs in total. The colour breakdown above shows how they split by difficulty, a good guide to whether the resort fits your level.
The closest alternatives, an easy switch if dates or hotels are tight.
Resorts with a similar feel, snow record and size.
Northern Rockies
French Alps
Moroccan Atlas
Moroccan Atlas
