©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Mediterranean Coast & the Rif شاطئ البحر المتوسط ومنطقة الريف Includes ¨ Why Go? Tangier . 220 Caught between the crashing waves of the Mediterranean Ceuta (Sebta) . .237 and the rough crags of the Rif Mountains, northern Morocco The Rif Mountains . 243 is one of the most charming parts of the country. Tangier, Tetouan . 243 the faded libertine of a port that links Africa and Europe, has shed its shady past to enjoy a rebirth as fashionable Chefchaouen. 250 Moroccan riviera. To the east, the coast is dotted with high Talassemtane cliffs and sandy coves; the area booms as a Moroccan holi- National Park . 258 day destination. Al-Hoceima . 263 The charming pastel blue medina of Chefchaouen de- Melilla . 268 serves its reputation as a magnet for travellers, while Nador . .275 Tetouan boasts the food and architecture of the Spanish protectorate era. Echoes of Spain continue with the medie- Berkane . .278 val fortresses and modernist architectural treasures of the Oujda . 280 enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Inland, you can get away from everything with treks in the Rif and walking in the little-visited remote Beni-Snassen ‘national park’. Best Places to Eat ¨ Auberge Dardara When to Go Restaurant (p257) Tangier ¨ Art et Gourmet (p229) °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 8/200 ¨ Populaire Saveur de Poisson (p230) 30/86 6/150 ¨ Blanco Riad (p247) 20/68 4/100 10/50 2/50 Best Places to 0/32 0 Sleep J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨ Dar Nour (p226) Apr Spring is Jul Head to Sep Mediterra- perfect for trek- Chefchaouen for nean beaches ¨ Villa Josephine (p228) king in the Rif or its annual arts await, without the ¨ El Reducto (p246) exploring national festival. crowds. ¨ Casa Hassan (p255) parks. S P A I N Tarifa Jebel Musa 0 50 km Cap Strait of (842m) 0 30 miles Spartel Gibraltar M E D I T E R R A N E A N Ceuta (Spain) Fnideq Tangier Ksar S E A Grottes es-Seghir d'Hercule Cabo M'Diq Negro Tetouan Martil N16 Isla de Mar & Souk el-Arba- Oued Laou Isla de Tierra (Spain) Cap Des des-Beni-Hassan Trois Bouhachem Regional Targa El Peñón de Velez El Peñón de Fourches Nature Reserve de la Gomera (Spain) Alhucemas Talassemtane Bou-Ahmed/Steha (Spain) Dar National Park Melilla Ackoubaa Islas El-Jebha Torres Al-Hoceima (Spain) Chafarinas Chefchaouen de Alcala Beni Ansar (Spain) R Dardara Cala Iris Ajdir Nador Kariat i Al-Hoceima Arekmane Moulouya f Bab Bab National Imzouren Estuary Berret Ras el-Maa Taza Park Selouane Saïdia M Midar Driouch o ALGERIA u Issaguen (Ketama) Targuist Zaïo n Ahfir t MoulouyaBerkane Ouezzane a Jebel i n Tidiquin ed Zegzel s (2448m) Ou Gorge s Taforalt R a i n i f M o u n t Beni-Snassen Oujda Mountains Mediterranean Coast & the Rif Highlights 1 Chefchaouen (p250) modern face to find traces of indulging in tapas for lunch or 5 Al-Hoceima National 6 Talassemtane National Getting happily lost in the the artists, from Matisse to the dinner. Park (p267) Exploring the Park Looking for Barbary apes blue-washed lanes and alleys Beat poets, who made it home. 4 Tetouan (p243) Taking in remote hills and beaches while trekking amid the forests of one of Morocco’s most 3 Melilla (p268) Wandering the art and colonial history of while looking for birdlife in this and Berber villages of the Rif enchanting medinas. overlooked national park. Mountains. R R R THE THE THE & & & COAST COAST COAST MEDITERRANEAN MEDITERRANEAN MEDITERRANEAN IF IF around the modernist IF this Riffian town’s museums E RIF HIG RIF E TH & oast C an E rran E T W MEDI hts LIG H 219 2 Tangier (p220) Looking buildings and imposing and its beautifully restored beyond this city’s gleaming medieval fortress, before Spanish architecture..