July 1, 2009 -- With its "breathtaking mountain and desert landscapes, fine classical ruins and hospitable people", Algeria is one of the most "intoxicating" places on earth, says Carol Drinkwater in the Observer. True, it is not an easy place to be a tourist. Few outsiders have visited since the terrible civil war it suffered in the 1990s, there are no hotels beyond the major towns and attacks by Islamist rebels remain a danger in some areas. But the Foreign Office downgraded its advice against travel to the country last month – and for the adventurous, the absence of tourist paraphernalia only adds to its appeal.

It is an immense country – the second-largest in Africa – but most of its great sights (except, of course, the vast wastes of the Sahara itself) are to be found close to the Mediterranean coast. The UNESCO World Heritage site of Tipasa, a short bus journey from the capital, Algiers, is a good starting point. A Phoenician settlement later colonised by the Romans, it is "a glorious stone forest of tumbled walls and columns spilling across a trio of hills" overlooking the sea. And the modern town nearby is "enchanting", too. Founded in 1857, it has "a French feel" and is known both for its "open-mindedness" and its "stunning beaches".

Over 200 miles to the east, near the Tunisian border, lies the city of Annaba, where "forest-rich mountains sweep dramatically into the sea". The French built upon the Phoenician and, later, Arab town here and christened it Petit Nice; today, "it is falling apart at the seams, but oozes seaside charm". No visitor to this part of the country should miss Timgad, to the south, a Roman city that was "buried in the sand for centuries" before its excavation, and so well preserved by it that its magnificent theatre is still used for performances today.

The Traveller (0207 269 2770) has several tours to Algeria, including a 7-day walking tour, from £1,875pp