El Menia is located almost at the center of Algeria, lying at the eastern border of the Grand Erg Occidental at an elevation of 380 metres (1,250 ft).

[citation needed] The oasis itself lies beneath an escarpment rising up to 200 metres (660 ft) above.

Some of the largest continuous areas of Saharan sand dunes begin just a few kilometres to the west of the oasis.

[4] El Menia has good road connections along the N1 highway to Ghardaïa to the north and In Salah to the south.

El Golea Airport is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of the town's center.