Hammam Meskhoutine

Happy Friday!

This is Adventure Fix, the weekly email for people who want to push past the backpacker routes into wilder realms.

Today we’re traveling to Algeria, to visit Hammam Meskhoutine - the Bath of the Cursed.

Hammam Meskhoutine

The Bath of the Cursed, how’s that for a name?

Boiling water actively shapes and forms this fascinating natural wonder known as the Hamman Meskhoutine.

The multi-colored travertine walls of the spring have attracted tourists to this place in Algeria since the time of the Romans.

The main attraction is a group of hot springs that formed an enormous 90-foot mound with beautiful rimstone pools and petrified waterfalls.

The powerful springs still flow over the flattened top giving it an even wilder effect.

The walls are mostly a bright white but in many places, the iron compounds and microorganisms have colored the travertine in shades of red, orange, and brown.

So how did this fairytale-like formation get its name?

According to local legend, the formation was created when a man married his sister. At the wedding, a curse caused the skies to darken, and the entire wedding party was struck with lightning and turned to stone.

The puffed-out shapes of the Hammam Maskhoutine spring are said to come from the still-frozen wedding party and their celebratory robes.

Explore More

• Hammam Meskoutine (article)

How to Visit Hammam Meskhoutine

Hammam Meskhoutine is located 22 km west of the town of Guelma, and can be visited as a day trip from Constantine.

We hope your travels take you in this direction very soon.

Until then - keep exploring!

- Amanda