Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
pets are only just mitigated by rooms with ocean views and new bathrooms. Book in ad-
vance to have any chance of a room in summer.
To get to the beach, drive north as far as the Musée Belghazi and turn left down a road
known as Sidi Bouknadel. Bus 9 or 48 from Rabat or Salé will drop you at the turn-off,
from where it's a 2km walk to the beach past huge developments of holiday apartments.
Mehdiya Plage
North along the coast, 50km from Rabat, is another strip of beach lined with holiday
homes and beach bars, but here the currents are dangerous for swimmers. It gets busy with
day trippers in summer but is deserted for the rest of the year. There are regular trains
from Rabat to Kenitra, from where you take bus 9 or 15 to Mehdiya. Both of these buses
(Dh6) and grands taxis (Dh10) leave from the corner of Rue du Souk el-Baladia and Ave
Mohammed Diouri in Kenitra.
BEACH
Lac de Sidi Bourhaba
Inland from Mehdiya is the beautiful freshwater Lac de Sidi Bourhaba, part of a larger
protected wetland reserve. As a refuelling stop for thousands of birds migrating between
Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, the lake provides some of the best birdwatching in the
country, especially between October and March. It's also a great place for gentle hiking,
with well-appointed walking trails in the forested hills around the lake.
More than 200 species of birds have been spotted here and many choose to winter or
nest here - among them a number of rare or endangered species. This is one of the last
places on earth where you can still see large numbers of marbled ducks, distinguished by
the dark patch around their eyes. Other birds to look out for include the beautiful marsh
owl (seen most often at dusk), the crested coot, black-shouldered kite and greater
flamingo.
The
information centre
(
OUTDOORS
noon-4pm Sat & Sun)
on the northern side of the
0537 74 72 09;
lake is useful but has limited opening hours.
To get to the lake follow the signposts from the beach road to Mehdiya Plage, 300m
past the Cafe Restaurant Belle Vue. If you're on foot, the lake is a 3.3km walk from the
turn-off.
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