Northern Morocco

My plans were to start in Tangier, go to Chefchaouen, then Taounate, the next day continue towards Taourirt, try to find remains of French Legion fortress, Oujda for to visit Mohammed VI Mosque and then to Al Hoceima, mainly for to celebrate my birthday by the sea there, in one I thought fantastic bay. Even to go to Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera. Finish with Tangier. But planned trip was not as I expected it to be. Anyway I experienced much on the way in any case and it was an interesting trip.

reduced trip

We stayed in Tangier only over night, next morning we rented the car and have gone directly to Chefchaouen. I read about this blue town and heard so much about for years. But, I was a bit disappointed, thought the whole town is blue, even pavement on the streets, all just blue, as I saw on many pictures. But so it was not in reality. One and another street was, in itself blue completely, but not the whole city. And not all the houses either, they were painted just to the middle and upper parts were white most. So it made me disappointed. But I enjoyed anyway, it was nice to go through the streets or take a pause and sitt on the square looking at the life around.

We were there in 2 nights but then we drove further via RIF to Taounate. I decided to take R419 which has looked quite good and exciting a bit, with not so much trafic. We drove via Derdara to Bab Taza where we turned off N2 to R419.

It was a very panoramic way with wonderful scenery. The road led almost over the tops so we could see much around, but the road itself was pretty miserable. The asphalt was only in the middle of the road so we had to go actually into the gravel with right wheels, almost constantly. So if someone want to go on a comfortable road, do not take the R419. It is suitable only for more adventurous people might I say.

 













Myself I enjoyed, but the same I cannot say about my friend who apart from poor road conditions thought that it went really slowly in the heat, so it was not fun for him. There were not so many signs neither so we had often to ask  about right way. It was a little problem with because for the first, on the way were not so many villages and houses and for the second no one of us talk French and no one of people we asked talk English. But in any case we drove right the whole way until Taounate.

Strangely, though even if locals have warned me to not go on R419 for it's very hashish trafficked road, not a single one has stopped us or persecuted either.
I almost thought it was pity because it would be interesting to experience, but that experience I was not indulged LOL

We arrived to Taounate in good time anyway despite the bad road. I have booked the room at one guest house there near, but it was impossible to find it even if I had brief description with me. In approx 2 hours we drove around there searching after, but without success. Even locals never heard about such guest house and when I tried to call it showed that the phone number was wrong.

We tried also to find one other hotel, but all of them was busy because it was some festival in Taounate so many people were there and no one room available.

So at finish we got to stay overnight in the car on parking place near one fuel station. I slept good anyway, worse it was for my friend who was in front seat while I in backseat.

Unfortunately I took never any picture which I regret now, but it was so hectic everything then so I had no mind to think at that. Have only this map to show our "hotel" that night ☺

Next day began my friend to whine and did not want to go as far as to continue to Taourirt and Oujda then also. So I had to change plans and go directly to Al Hoceima instead and therefore I missed what I looked so much forward. But OK, it will have to wait until next time, however, probably there I go alone again.

I have chose to go via Ketama because still I was curious if we will be stopped of "hashish people", but unfortunately not. Only once, at one cafe where we took pause the waiter asked us if we wish have hashish. But because we wanted not have it we only thanked and he accepted without to persuade us. So I not understand how or why they have leave us in peace when I have read so many stories about to be chased of hashish sellers. Maybe it was over with hashish this season or I don't know. Around the way there were not so many plants, it was sparse plants as it seems on the picture below.

But it was nice landscape, hills up and down, many forests and even cedar trees near Ketama. Ketama self seemed to be almost empty, not so many people were outside, a little Ghostly it looked like. But did not dare to take pictures there, a coward I was LOL.

When I saw this "things" at a distance, I thought it was small huts, but when we got closer, I saw that there was hay and not huts. Funny how it looked, I have never seen storing hay in this way.

It was nice but a little rough landscape in RIFmountains with small villages around there. Eventually we came to the coast and Al Hoceima.

I thought then that I get several days to swim in the wonderful bay I saw on the picture when I made hotel reservation, but oh, the bay was wonderful, but so much bathers people I have never seen. When we arrived it looked exactly like I imagined in advance that it will be there, but it was just when we arrived early afternoon. A little later it began to stream with people from all holes and soon the bay was literally full of Al Hoceima's inhabitants. The rest of the site took lots of watercraft. So that was my swim there LOL.

I gave up bathers and instead we went to town to look at how it was there. We were looking for Medina but did not find it, but some we asked they said it is not such typical Medina in Al Hoceima. So maybe not. In all cases, we walked around there, looked over the sea because it was one wonderful view even over Peñón de Alhucemas, then sat in a cafe and had pretty nice chat with one man there.

Next day I thought to go and find the way to Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, but it wasn't easy at all. We came to wonderful and empty beaches, unfortunately I had not swimsuit with me so I couldn't take a bath there. We took and tried a few different ways, thinking this maybe is right way now, but not, we not even saw the island from anywhere.

But next day, on my birthday, I got a present anyway in form of the island (or rather peninsula) I wanted to see so much and found the way to the Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, so I was really happy and it was very worth all this searching after the way. Even there were not so many people and this time I had with me a swimsuit so I could swim a little and it was beautiful. We stayed there a couple of hours, sitting, looking, eating sardines, fresh, just-fished and it was really nice day.

 

Actually before it was the island until 1934 when during a large thunderstorm the stream carried large amounts of sand between island and the coast on mainland and formed narrow peninsula of sand. Since then it has been a peninsula connected to the Moroccan coast by an 85 m long sandy isthmus, the world's shortest land border.

The blue cable mark the border between Spain and Morocco

It was really beautiful there around, so peaceful, quiet, calm, one wonderful view over the sea and cliffs. Got also to know that there is a simple accommodation where we could stay, so if I go there next time, I will absolute take on this place and stay a couple of days there.

 













Then we needed to leave Al Hoceima and go back to Tangier. The road was good, along the coast and again, so wonderful view overall over the sea. There down was smaller or bigger bays but overall crowded of the people and tents.

Our next stop would be in Tetouan where we wanted to stay over night and see also this town.

Funny, it would be already the third times I have "met" the King because he had just to visiting the town in those days. Therefore the streets were a bit hard to reach, blocked here and there.

I had reserved a Riad right in the Medina and did not know how we will get there because of all the latch. But it was a very nice woman there who have followed us, next to the car, though we said she could sit with us in the car and show the way. But she insisted that it go well and so she led us up.

People there were really helpful, we would then call the front desk, they would come and show where we can park. But the man there spoke only French or Spanish, and we only English and Swedish of course. But, the one that just passed heard me talking on the mobile so he took it from me and spoke to the receptionist. Then he told us that they come to pick us.

Medina self was not so big but nice, clean and neat. No annoying sellers or guides was there. I liked it actually very much, nice to take a promenade. The streets or rather gates were really small and everywhere were shops of course, the houses felt like to be untouched since years, white painted and clean, with influence of Spanish architecture.

It was nice there in the whole Tetouan, even outside Medina, so it was not bad at all to go and stay over night there, but better would be 2 days, it is quite much to see there.

But even though it was full day with blue sky, it was quite dark in Medina due small gates and so. Almost a little mysterious or something like that.

The last night we stayed in Tangier before to take ferry to Spain. I booked one Riad but the room was very small, without window and it felts like even that one dog would not wanted to stay there. So we decided to cancel the room and stay instead at Continental hotel, breathing of history with Winston Churchill, Paul Bowles, Jack Kerouac and the Rolling Stones. Thought it would be nice and interesting to see the hotel from the inside too. The room itself was not very special, with a little dull furniture, modern and I thought there should be a little more authentic furniture, but ... The hotel was being renovated so it was a bit messy here and there in the corridor.

But the terrace and the whole part with cafeteria was very nice and genuine anyway. In any case the hotel has still breathed the old times and it was really nice to stay there and enjoy. At the reception desk stood a piano so I wondered who was playing at the time. Rolling Stones, maybe? 

So it was my trip in northern Morocco and to be honest, even the last trip. I do not need go there several times but yet want I go to Taourirt and Oujda.

RIF was interesting but have "not said" much to me really, so I got to see it now and it is enough. But it was a nice scenery, dry landscape, went up and down. Amounts of hashish plantations, those fun haystack as I first thought it was a small round huts. Donkeys were often the most common used way to travel. Great views over the pond Barrage de el Wahda is the name, one giant big dam was.

Interesting it was in any case, I enjoyed the whole trip there, a little exciting. Were only sorry that there was no one chased us to buy hashish. Now and then, it was some guys with plants in hand, but they did not try to stop us either. LOL