The Chrea ski station in the Blida Atlas mountains, about 60km south of Algiers, is the northernmost working ski resort in Africa. It sits at around 1500 metres and receives reliable snowfall from December to February. The facilities are modest by Alpine standards — a handful of pistes, a ski lift, a cafeteria — but the novelty of skiing within an hour's drive of Algiers is considerable.
The drive through the Chiffa Gorge to reach Chrea is itself a reason to go. The cedar forest around the station is beautiful in snow. In summer the area becomes a weekend retreat from the city heat, popular for walking and picnicking in the cool mountain air.