Must-see attractions in Rif Mountains

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    Medina

    Chefchaouen

    Winding alleyways, cute doorways and charming plazas all in many shades of blue – this is what has attracted millions to this tiny village in the Rif…

  • Royal Artisan School

    Tetouan

    Just outside Bab El Okla is the best artisan centre in northern Morocco. This is a fascinating opportunity to see masters teaching apprentices traditional…

  • Medina

    Tetouan

    Tetouan's medina is an authentic time machine, with buildings that have witnessed centuries of history. The medina is also very traveller-friendly, with…

  • Tetouan Museum of Modern Art

    Tetouan

    Tetouan boasts one of only two schools of fine arts in Morocco (Casablanca has the other), so it's fitting that this museum should live here. The building…

  • Place Hassan II

    Tetouan

    The broad and empty Place Hassan II, which is mostly roped off for security reasons, links the medina to the Ensanche. It looks like it houses the Wizard…

  • El Peñón de Alhucemas

    Al Hoceima

    One of the plazas de soberanía (places of sovereignty), this extraordinary white island fortress can be seen a few hundred metres off Plage Sfiha, along…

  • Plage Sfiha

    Al Hoceima

    A short retreat from the city, wide horseshoe-shaped Plage Sfiha looks out on the Spanish-controlled post-colonial relic, El Peñon de Alhucemas. A couple…

  • Bouhachem Regional Nature Reserve

    Chefchaouen

    One of two parks in the Rif Mountains, Bouhachem is exceptionally beautiful and covers an enormous territory. The forest has various species of oak and…

  • Feddan Park

    Tetouan

    Feddan Park used to be what's currently known as Place Hassan II, but it was destroyed following the Spanish protectorate to make room for the Royal…

  • Cala Bonita

    Al Hoceima

    Because of its location south of town, Cala Bonita pebble beach manages to avoid some of the crowds, though there are still plenty of umbrellas during…

  • Plaza Uta El Hammam

    Chefchaouen

    The bustling heart of the medina is the shady, cobbled Plaza Uta El Hammam, which is lined with cafes and restaurants, all serving similar, rather…

  • Ensanche

    Tetouan

    Restored to resemble the era when Tetouan was capital of the Spanish protectorate, this broad boulevard along Ave Mohammed V from Place Al Jala to Place…

  • Dar El Oddi

    Tetouan

    The wealthy El Oddi family graciously opened their sparkling family riad to the public as a cultural centre in 2018, celebrating their beloved Tetouan…

  • Oued Ras El Maa

    Chefchaouen

    The waterfall of Ras El Maa is just beyond the far northeastern gate of the Chefchaouen medina. It’s here, where the water comes gushing out of the…

  • Plage Quemado

    Al Hoceima

    Located in a pretty, steep-sided bay, the yellow sand beach below the Mercure Quemado Resort is a popular hang-out spot in the summer for taking a dip and…

  • El Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera

    Rif Mountains

    This tiny island was transformed into a peninsula in the 1930s and ’40s when a sandbank joined it with the mainland. Despite several Moroccan attempts at…

  • Spanish Mosque

    Chefchaouen

    The mosque was built by the Spanish in the 1920s, but never used. It fell into disrepair and remains closed, but the grounds out front make for a perfect…

  • Leather Souq

    Tetouan

    Next to Tetouan's tannery, where you can see how the cow hides get their shades, the leather souq features traditional Moroccan shoes, jackets and bags…

  • Port

    Al Hoceima

    The port is mainly used for a large commercial fishing operation. It's a great place to watch the catch being unloaded, and to find dinner: vendors line…

  • Grande Mosquée

    Tetouan

    Built in 1808 on the ruins of a smaller mosque, the Grand Mosquée has one of the largest minarets in Tetouan – you'll have to tilt your head way up to see…

  • Plage Isri

    Al Hoceima

    This 100m-long grey-sand beach is a good option for soaking in some rays outside of the city bustle. A few food shacks along the beach serve fresh catch…

  • Jewellery Souq

    Tetouan

    Tetouan is known for its artisans, and this is the spot in the medina where you'll find a collection of jewellery boutiques.

  • Kasbah

    Chefchaouen

    If you're getting tired of blue, Chefchaouen's 15th-century clay-brown kasbah contains a lovely Andalusian-style garden, a former prison, the small Center…

  • Archaeology Museum

    Tetouan

    A few blocks from Place Al Jala is a small museum with an excellent collection of pottery and mosaics mostly from the Roman ruins at Lixus, displayed both…

  • Lovers Park

    Tetouan

    On the southern edge of the Tetouan mellah (Jewish quarter) is this lovely tree-filled park, perfect for taking a break from the Ensanche and medina…

  • Tannery

    Tetouan

    Tetouan has traditionally been a leather-producing town, and there is a small tannery here. They're smaller than the tanneries at Fez, but still…

  • Iglesia de Bacturia

    Tetouan

    This bright yellow Roman Catholic church looking out on Place Moulay El Mehdi was built in 1917 and is still active. A church in a main square is a…

  • Grande Mosquée

    Chefchaouen

    Towering over Plaza Uta El Hammam, the Grand Mosquée and its unusual octagonal minaret were built in the 15th century by the son of the town’s founder,…

  • Carpentry Souq

    Tetouan

    Best visited after going to the Artisanal School, where you can see the detail and hard work that goes into making each piece, this is where you'll find…

  • Royal Palace

    Tetouan

    The Royal residence was built in 1988 in what was once Feddan Park. The palace is still active as King Mohammed VI has been known to visit during the…

  • Horno Bab El Ain

    Chefchaouen

    A traditional bakery; locals still bring their bread dough and bastilla (savoury-sweet pies) to bake here.