The main archaeological site at Tipasa and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ruins span nearly a thousand years of occupation — Phoenician tombs, a Roman amphitheatre, two early Christian basilicas, and a Byzantine-era fortification — all set on a promontory with the Mediterranean crashing against the rocks below.
The Roman amphitheatre, overlooking the sea, is the most photogenic spot. Nearby, the Great Basilica is one of the largest early Christian churches in North Africa, its columns still standing. On the eastern hill, a Punic necropolis holds carved stone tombs from before the Roman period. The site is tangled with wildflowers in spring and shaded by eucalyptus and fig trees — more garden than museum.
A small on-site museum houses mosaics, sarcophagi, and smaller finds. The site is open daily; come early in the morning to have the ruins to yourself. An easy day trip from Algiers, about 70 kilometres west along the coast.