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Ifrane Tourist Places to Visit in Ifrane, Morocco, Africa

Ifrane is a popular winter tourist destination, situated in the Middle Atlas region of Morocco, between 33°32′ N latitude and 5°07′ W longitude. Administratively, Ifrane belongs to the Meknès-Tafilalet region, holding a population more than 40,000 (as of the 2013 census). Ifrane is located around 1665 metres above sea level, around 300 km east of Casablanca, the largest city of Morocco. Ifrane is one of the recognized tourist attractions of Morocco, drawing loads of overseas tourists during the winter months for different winter sport activities. Ifrane features a Mediterranean climate.

 

History of Ifrane:

Ifrane takes its name from the dialect of Berber language, Tamazight, in which Ifrane means ‘caves’. The history of Ifrane begins with its permanent settlement, formed by a sharif Sîdî ‘Abd al-Salâm in the 16th century. The modern Ifrane was founded during the French rule in the year 1929. The famous Al Akhawayn Univesity was established in Ifrane in 1995.

 

Connectivity to Ifrane:

Ifrane has an airport but flights are limited, only seasonal flights from Casablanca, Agadir and London, served by Royal Air Maroc Express and Thomson Airways. The airport is located around 7 km away from the centre of the city of Ifrane.

Ifrane is well linked by bus to Fez, Casablanca and Meknes. Grand taxis are very common in Morocco, visitors can consider this for comfort and convenient travel between Ifrane and its neighboring cities.

 

Culture and Food in Ifrane:

Ifrane is home to the Al Akhawayn Univesity and the city also houses many reputed primary and secondary educational institutions.

Ifrane is dotted with full of modern and traditional restaurants, of which, most are located in the areas of Centre ville and Marché. Some of them are as follows:

• Restaurant Chez Amal
• Chicken Restaurant
• La Rosa
• Restaurant Al-Akhawayn

 

Things to do in Ifrane:

• Journey Beyond Travel- day tour
• Skiing
• Snowboarding

 

Places to see in Ifrane:

 

Al Akhawayn University:

The Al Akhawayn University is an American-curriculum public university, established in 1995. Other than providing quality education, the university is famous for its striking building architecture and eye-catching surrounding landscapes.

 

Centre-ville:

Centre-ville is the main part of Ifrane, featuring different attractions, buildings, restaurants, cafes and shops. A typical attraction ‘the statue of lion’, situated in the proximity of lake and park, is famous among visitors.

 

Marché:

Marché is one of the major market areas of Ifrane, offering a wide range of colorful products, ranging from books to electronic items. There are also many frit stores, restaurants and cafes at Marché.

 

Source Vitel:

Source Vitel is called to the series of waterfall in Ifrane, of which many are within the forest area of Ifrane. These waterfalls are not so much attractive, but worth a visit.

 

Catholic Church in Ifrane:

Ifrane is home to a catholic church that was constructed in the year 1939 and was designed by the famous architect Paul Tournon. The church is famous for both holiness and nice exterior and interior designs.

 

Other places of interest in and around Ifrane include:

• Michlifen Ski Station
• Zaouia Moulay Idriss II
• Dar al-Magana
• Bou Inania Madrasa
• University of al-Karaouine
• Bab Bou Jeloud
• Fontaine Nejjarine
• Moulay Abdellah Quarter
• Fes el-Bali
• Jardin Jnan Sbil
• Nejjarine Museum of Wood Arts and Crafts
• Glaoui Palace
• Kairaouine Mosque

 

Best time to visit Ifrane:

Throughout the year is best, especially from July to September is the ideal time to visit Ifrane in Morocco.

 

Accommodation Options in and around Ifrane:

Ifrane holds an upgraded hospitality industry with numerous tourist favor hotels with all modern amenities. The city also houses many vacation rentals that open door during high season only. The major hotels in Ifrane are listed below:

• Motel Relais Ras el Maa
• Gite Dayet Aoua
• Michlifen Ifrane Suites & Spa
• L’Auberge Berbere
• Hotel des Perce-Neige
• Hotel Farah Inn
• lechamonix
• Gite Ras El Ma
• Hotel Les Tilleuls
• Auberge la vallee
• Les Residences d’Ifrane
• Appart-Hotel La Paix
• Villa Agapanthe
• Riad Le Ksar de Fes
• Zahrat al Jabal

Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Fes, Morocco, Africa

Fes is the 3^rd largest city of the Northwest African country, Morocco, situated in the northern part of the country. It is the administrative centre of the Fès-Boulemane region and holds two old medinas (old towns), which are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site. The popularity of Fes has also expanded by the university, named Al-Qarawiyyin, which is the world’s oldest continually functioning madrasa. Fes also owns the title of one of the largest auto-free urban areas in the globe. All these factors have aided Fes to get the popular titles of the ‘Athens of Africa’ and the ‘Mecca of the West’.

 

History of Fes:

The name of Fes may be derived from the former name of the Middle Atlas (a mountain near the city), Fazaz, which came from the Berber language. According to the historical records, Idris I was the founder of Fes (789), who was also the founder of Zaydi Shi’ite Idrisid dynasty. Fes was the former capital of Morocco.

 

How to reach Fes?

Fes is catered by the Fes–Saïss Airport with scheduled flights from Brussels, Charleroi, Barcelona, Montpellier, Casablanca, Paris, Hahn, London, Pisa, Rome and many other Moroccan and foreign destinations. The distance of 15 km between the airport and city can be easily crossed by bus or taxi, which costs 120-150 dirham.

The railway connection of Fes extends to Marrakech, Casablanca, Tangier, Rabat and all other important Moroccan cities. Fes also has good connectivity by bus to all around the country.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Fes:

Fes is one of the cultural centres of Morocco, holding the oldest continually operating madrasa in the world, University of al-Karaouine.

Leathergoods, copper and brassware are the purchasable items in Fes and the famous restaurants in Fes are:

• San Remo
• Palais des Merinides
• Le Palais de Fes

 

What to do in Fes?

• Marrakech Camel Trips
• Visiting Cafe Clock Cooking School
• Tours 4×4 Morocco
• Dunes Line Day Tours

 

What to see in Fes?

 

University of al-Karaouine:

Being the oldest continuously functioning university in the world, the University of al-Karaouine is one of the identities of Fes. It was originally established by Fatima al-Fihri in 859 as a school and later it turned into one the important educational centers in the Muslim world.

 

Bou Inania Madrasa:

The Bou Inania Madrasa was established by Abu Inan Faris in AD 1351–56. Apart from spiritual and educational activities, the madrasa is also famous for its striking Marinid architecture. It was restored in the 18th century.

 

Ibn Danan Synagogue:

The Ibn Danan Synagogue is a famous synagogue, constructed by a rich merchant Mimoun Ben Sidan in the 17^th century. The synagogue is rich in its both exterior and interior designs.

 

Zaouia Moulay Idriss II:

The Zaouia Moulay Idriss II is a shrine, devoted to one of the founders of the city, Moulay Idriss II. The shrine was first constructed in the year 1440 by the Marinids and reconstructed by Moulay Ismail in the 18^th century.

 

Dar al-Magana:

Constructed by the Marinid Sultan Abu Inan Faris, the Dar al-Magana is a historic house, especially noted for its heavy water clock. It is located in the vicinity of the Bou Inania Madrasa.

 

Other places of interest in and around Fes include:

• Medina of Fez
• Fes el-Bali
• Jardin Jnan Sbil
• Bab Bou Jeloud
• Nejjarine Museum of Wood Arts and Crafts
• Glaoui Palace
• Kairaouine Mosque
• Fontaine Nejjarine
• Moulay Abdellah Quarter
• Musee des armes
• Tombe dei Merenidi
• Royal Palace of Fez
• Dar Batha Museum
• Cherratin Medersa
• Palais El Mokri

 

When to visit Fes?

Fes experiences a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and cold winters. From April to June and September to November is the best time to visit Fes.

 

Where to stay in Fes?

Being one of the top tourist destinations of Morocco, Fes holds dozens of upgraded hotels that are shared between all parts of the city with superior amenities. Some famous hotels in Fes are as follows:

• Riad Ahlam
• Riad Laaroussa
• Algila Fes
• Riad Laayoun
• Dar Hafsa
• Riad Andalib
• Riad Dar Cordoba
• Riad Norma
• Palais Faraj Suites & Spa
• Dar Attajalli
• Palais Amani
• Riad La Cle de Fes
• Le Jardin des Biehn
• Ryad Alya
• Riad Dar Guennoun

Essaouira Tourist Places to Visit in Essaouira, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, Morocco, Africa

Essaouira is a city under the Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz region in western Morocco, located on the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. Essaouira itself is a famous tourist destination, located around 175 km west of the focal point of Morocco’s tourism, Marrakesh. Essaouira is especially noted for its old town, constructed by the Portuguese that is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Along with the old town, beautiful beaches with kite-surfing and windsurfing activities and cultural centres have made Essaouira one of the hot cakes in Morocco’s tourism.  Essaouira generally experiences a very mild climate and the geographical coordinates of Essaouira are 31°30′47″ N 9°46′11″ W.

 

History of Essaouira:

Essaouira is also called as Mogador, which is a Portuguese name, has been used since the 16th century. The present name Essaouira derived from the Berber language, meaning ‘the wall’, indicating the fortress walls that covered the city originally. According to the archeological findings, Essaouira has been inhabited since the prehistoric times and the king Mohammed III was the founder of modern Essaouira.

 

How to get Essaouira?

Essaouira Mogador Airport is the airport serving Essaouira, situated around 15 km southeast of the midpoint of Essaouira and operates flights from and to Paris and Marseille, catered by Royal Air Maroc, Transavia.com France and Ryanair.

Buses are frequent between Essaouira and Marrakech, charging around 75dh per way.

The local transportation of Essaouira is served by buses, taxis and rental cars and mopeds.

 

Culture, Shopping and Food in Essaouira:

The Gnaoua Festival of World Music is the centre of Essaouira’s culture, which is generally celebrated in the last week of June annually and it attracts about 450,000 spectators in average.

Some specialty shops in Essaouira include:

• Histoire de filles
• Le Souk
• Flouka de Mogador

Here are some tourist favor restaurants in Essaouira:

• Patisserie Driss
• La Decouverte
• La Triskalla

 

Things to do in Essaouira:

• Kite-surfing
• Windsurfing
• Biking
• Visiting art galleries and spa

 

Places to see in Essaouira:

 

The Medina of Essaouira:

The Medina of Essaouira or Mogador is a historic town of Essaouira, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic importance. For easy exploration of medina, visitors can take the aid of a guided tour.

 

Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah Museum:

The Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah Museum is named in the honor of Mohammed ben Abdallah, the founder of Essaouira. This history museum is housed in the regal palace, Rue Laâlouj and exhibits jewelry, carpets, potteries and coins associated with Essaouira’s history.

 

Castelo Real:

Castelo Real is a castle built during the Portuguese colonial period in the year 1506. Currently the site of Castelo Real was occupied by the fortifications, named Scala del Mar, which dates from the 18th century.

 

Beaches of Essaouira:

Essaouira is the site of many spectacular beaches like Essaouira Bay, Mouley Bouzertoune, Sidi Kaouki and Cape Sim with the activities like kitesurfing and windsurfing but swimming is not recommended at Essaouira’s beaches.

 

Other places of interest in and around Essaouira include:

• Golf d’Essaouira Mogador
• Essaouira Ramparts
• Dar Souiri
• Essaouira Beach
• Jewish Cemetery
• Mogador Christian Cemetery
• Simon Attias Synagogue
• Mogador Golf Academy
• Galerie d’Art Damgaard
• Essaouira Nautique Pro center

 

Best time to visit Essaouira:

Essaouira is a year round destination, although, for beach exploration and other outdoor activities, from March and October is the ideal time.

 

Accommodation Options in Essaouira:

There are dozens of accommodation centres in Essaouira, more than 500, with a wide range of traditional and modern amenities like spa, sauna, Wi-Fi, AC, food on request, arrangement of tour and vehicle for airport travel. The prominent hotels in Essaouira in Morocco are listed below:

• Villa Gonatouki
• Riad Baoussala
• Le Jardin des Douars
• Riad Chbanate
• Riad Baladin
• Domaine de l’Arganeraie
• Riad Dar Afram
• Riad Zahra Mogador
• Hotel Les Matins Bleus
• L’Heure Bleue Palais
• Madada Mogador
• Riad Al Zahia
• Riad Dar L’Oussia
• Sofitel Essaouira Mogador Golf & Spa
• Hotel Vent des Dunes