Ifrane, Azrou & Sefrou

Ifrane with its almost Alpine scenery can be mistaken for being a European town.  It was built by French administrators as a ski centre for nearby Mischliffen.  Now this is one of the most bourgeois resorts and the King even has a palace in the hill.

Azrou, a small town of pretty white washed houses with green tiled roofs, is famous for its cedarwood carving and its carpets which are on sale at the Tuesday Souk.  It’s also a perfect base for hiking the vast and beautiful cedar forests nearby.  It is also known as the main market for the semi-nomadic Beni Mguild tribe who cultivate land in the mountains – in the winter they descend to the plains and in summer they climb to the higher forests.

Sefrou is an ancient walled city which was strongly influenced by its once thriving Jewish community.  In the hills within easy walking distance of the medina and the Mellah (Jewish quarter) are several springs and waterfalls.   The town has a famous cherry festival in June.