There’s a green heart to Morocco coursing with cedar and oak and fresh air. A heart brightened by brash paint strokes of flowers in spring and livened with birdsong in summer. A heart beating to the rhythms of Nature; a heart that is waiting to put a spring in your step and to add life to your Moroccan travels. That heart is the Middle Atlas countryside of Ifrane.
Ifrane is often just a brief stopping point for tour buses on their way from Fez to Merzouga, but this little mountain town merits much more than a 30-minute stroll. In fact, it isn’t the town itself that is the main attraction. It is the surrounding countryside that demands to be explored. Nevertheless, Ifrane will be a quaint “home base” from which to start your exploration.
Within 25 minutes of driving you can reach three scenic and invigorating walks from downtown Ifrane. These are walks that anyone can do despite the 1650-meter starting altitude. No need to worry about strenuous treks (such as what can be found trekking in the Mount Toubkal region south of Marrakesh). With a steady gait and a full day free to allow for lunch (and a leisurely appreciation of your surroundings), all ages can enjoy a walk in Ifrane. Here are three of my favorites:
Fox Bowl and the Sinkhole
Near Jbel Hebri, the hidden volcanic crater named Fox Bowl is just out of sight from the main road. When Thomas Hollowell (founder of Journey Beyond Travel) and I first explored this crater we counted six foxes feeding in the grass at the bottom of this “bowl” at dusk. It was a magical moment we will never forget.
Fox Bowl is about 50 meters deep and surrounded by soaring cedar trees—some of the mightiest cedars in the Middle Atlas. Its grassy bottom is perfect for a picnic or a game of Frisbee. At the north edge of the crater is an angular rocky promontory worthy of the Lion King and it makes a great “throne” from which to survey your crater kingdom below.
After climbing the northern rim of this massive bowl, you emerge upon a rocky plateau. If you look in the distance, a little to your right, you will see a line of cedar trees poking above ground level. Once you walk up to these half hidden trees, you will realize that they are standing in a massive sinkhole even deeper than the Fox Bowl!
Underground water wore away at the basalt roof causing a collapse which you can plainly see at the bottom of the Sinkhole. The ochre walls of this chasm are home to choughs, wood pigeons and even the occasional Moussiere’s Redstart can be seen flitting from branch to branch. Two foxes used to inhabit the jumbled boulders at the bottom.
In the summer, if you can find a shady spot under a tree at the bottom of the Sinkhole, all you can hear is the merry chirping of birds. Not even the sound of the wind enters to break the serenity.
The Cone
The Cone can be reached via a dirt road veering off to the left, just at the top of the asphalt road that leads from Ifrane to Ben Smim. I named this hill “The Cone” because of its clearly conical shape when viewed from Ifrane. It is a hill that stands out as the highest in the Azrou valley very close to the village of Ben Smim.
A shady walk through oak trees leads to a field with a view over the picturesque Ben Smim valley. Walk left along the far edge of the field to reach the base of The Cone. A steep but short (10 minute) climb will bring you to The Cone’s pinnacle where you can enjoy a grand view of the town of Azrou in the distance and the surrounding valley. This would make a great place to stop and munch on your sandwich lunch before heading down into the hamlet below.
In the spring, the dirt road from The Cone down to the seemingly nameless hamlet is choked with flowers. The last time I walked this route with my friend Kevin, we had to wade through waist high poppies and various other purple and yellow beauties until we reached a clear but gloriously daisy-strewn path.
Turning left past the three or four homes in the valley, you can complete your circuit by heading uphill again toward the field you crossed in the beginning. Don’t forget to take a side trip to view the burbling brook running just down the hill on the right of the main trail. For the adventurous and energetic, there is a steep and somewhat arduous climb to a knobby peak with a view almost as grand as The Cone.
The Panorama Trail
This recently discovered gem really lives up to its name. To get there, drive over the mountain pass on the way from Ifrane to the Michliffen ski hill. Just past the bottom of the pass, there is a dirt road on the right leading past a forestry worker’s house which continues on until the trailhead.
The Panorama trail is at a higher altitude close to 1900 meters, but not to worry. Except for two steep but short (less than 5 minutes) hills at the beginning and middle, the trail is mostly on the level or gradually descending.
From the start of the Panorama Trail on a clear day you can admire Jbel Tichoukt over 50 kilometers away in Boulemane and even further (over 100 kms away) Jbel Bouiblane, both mountains looking especially spectacular when snow covered. (Both of these mountains can be seen from Fox Bowl as well.)
Some spectacular cedar trees also grace the Panorama Trail with their classic horizontal branches. As you walk a gradual decline you can admire a vast expanse of cedar and oak forest below you and the rocky plain extending back to Ifrane.
Walks in Ifrane can be done year round. We are lucky enough to have four seasons, so plan accordingly. In the winter months, snow can fall pretty much at any time! Walking in the snow can be a lot of fun; once it starts melting, however, prepare for lots of mud! The snow glistening as it sits heavily on the trees is a memorable sight indeed!
On all three of these gorgeous walks you are practically guaranteed to have the trails to yourself. Your solitude will only be interrupted by an occasional shepherd and his flock. I have lived in Ifrane for seven years and I can assure you that these trails are unknown to any other tourists.
So… let’s just keep this little-known secret of Ifrane’s great walking trails to ourselves, OK?!
And, last but not least, check out this wonderful video that truly brings the beauty of the Middle Atlas Mountains to life!
Exploring Morocco with Journey Beyond Travel:
If you’d like to enjoy a walk in Ifrane with our team at Journey Beyond Travel as a part of your trip to Morocco with us, just mention it when contacting us. If you have an overnight in the region, we can take you on an amazing off-the-beaten-path walk and even enjoy lunch at a local family’s home. If we aren’t able to guide you, we have a certified mountain guide who takes our clients around the Azrou cedar forest, also something less visited by tourists. Check out the types of Morocco tours we do, our multitude of expert-designed itineraries and send us an email. We hope that you’ll enjoy the secrets of Morocco with us very soon!
About the Author:
Kolin Goncalves is a university lecturer in Morocco. He lives for walking, mountain biking, and exploring the world around him. He’s been exploring Ifrane Morocco for the last several years and has more than 30 trails he’s put together in the region. Be sure to join him on his blog: Kolin’s Travels, Facebook, and don’t miss his YouTube channel.
