El Kautara Gorges
Catch the best glimpse of this desert through the gorges and remember this access to the Sahara desert forever. Cross the El Kautara Gorges to the south of Constantine and this breathtaking journey will seem like you have crossed to the other side of the world. These gorges are said to separate the winter areas from the land of everlasting summer and are called Fouur Es Sahra (’the Sahara’s mouth’) by the inhabitants and the contrast is obvious once you cross it.
Many of the stops in the Sahara are towns with highly organized, walled-in gardens with date palms, and mosques, shops and monuments. This is necessary because the desert covers nearly 80% of Algeria and a living still needs to be made by inhabitants. After making your way through the gorges, explore the desert on a camel, but stay in the party to tour the Saharan stops. Making your way through the dunes, you may discover an oasis that will bring added beauty to the desert.
El Golea is known as the “enchanted oasis” or the “pearl of the desert” and it contains vegetation and water that have sprouted from nowhere. Ouargla and El Golea have become permanent settlements around the water sources, and you will pass these towns after hiking through the gorges of El Kautara, or climbing the Hoggar Mountains. Your reward is the scenery and the market at Tamanrasset that is filled with handicrafts and cloths brought from other Saharan countries that you can take back to your country!
