Ain Barbar, Algeria

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, El Kala, is 79 km away. Nearest airport: AAE (AAE), 29 km.

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About Ain Barbar

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces NE (38°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (218°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 8). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 15°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 27°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, November and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, El Kala, is 79 km away. Nearest airport: AAE (AAE), 29 km.

Water about 24°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 18 h 45 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to AAE, changing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG).
See flights ORD → AAE · Skyscanner from about £465 returnAd
Getting there. 50 min from the airport to Ain Barbar.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, El Kala, is 79 km away. Nearest airport: AAE (AAE), 29 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Ain Barbar · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Ain Barbar · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Ain Barbar on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Ain Barbar, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	11, too small	2 ft6 shollow	16kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots	23°C
Mon 19Oct	13, too small	2 ft6 shollow	13kJ	wind from the south, 4 knots, offshore	25°C
Tue 20Oct	14, too small	1 ft4 shollow	7kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots	26°C
Wed 21Oct	17, too small	2 ft5 shollow	18kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 7 knots, offshore	23°C
Thu 22Oct	25, too small	2 ft5 shollow	24kJ	wind from the west, 8 knots, offshore	21°C
Fri 23Oct	26, too small	2 ft6 shollow	31kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots	21°C
Sat 24Oct	24, poor	3 ft5 shollow	42kJ	wind from the north, 8 knots	20°C
Sun 25Oct	54, good	4 ft6 shollow	92kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 6 knots, offshore	20°C
Mon 26Oct	26, too small	3 ft5 shollow	30kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 10 knots	22°C
Tue 27Oct	39, fair	3 ft6 shollow	54kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 4 knots	21°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Fly ORD to AAE, changing at CDG, then 50 min by road. About 18h 45 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 34 of 80.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly ORD to AAE, changing at CDG, then 50 min by road. About 18h 45 door to door

Rough cost

About £790–£1,545 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return ORD to AAE, estimated from distance and season, changing at CDG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£465–£970
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£70–£115
Food	7 days eating out	£155–£290
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£65–£105
Total		£790–£1,545

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

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Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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