Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Onsar; hammam Dh10; men 8am-noon, women noon-8pm)
The local hammam is the traditional
way to get clean - and pretty cheap, too.
Trekking
There are numerous trekking opportunities of various durations in the vast 580-sq-km
Talassemtane National Park
, which begins just outside town. The name means 'cold spring'
in Berber. Some popular destinations include the small villages of Kalaa and Akchour,
and God's Bridge, a natural formation that looks like a stone arch. The duration of these
excursions depends on how much you wish to drive versus walk.
The
Bouhachem Regional Nature Reserve
lies betweem Tetouan, Chefchaouen and Larache,
and has a number of treks of various lengths visiting local villages and exploring the
mountains, forests and waterfalls. There are several
gîtes
for overnight stays. The park is
exceptionally beautiful and covers an enormous area of 80,000 sq km. Designated a Site
of Biological and Ecological Interest, it is, along with the nearby Talassemtane National
Park, one of the core areas of the Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean
shared between Andalucia (southern Spain) and Morocco. The forest has various species
of oak, maritime pine and cedar. The park is home to an important number of birds (99
species), mammals (32 species including the Barbary macaque) and reptiles (17 species).
Abdeslam Mouden
( 0661 46 39 05; rifwalks@gmail.com; groups of up to 10 half/full day Dh250/
400, lunch per person in gîte Dh85)
and his team of 13 trained guides lead treks lasting from
half a day to several days in both parks, with optional visits to honey production, cheese-
making and organic vegetable farming projects.
Mazjen)
offers similar treks in Talassemtane National Park, some with a focus on medicinal
plants.
The
Eco-Museum
(near Camping Azilane)
at the entrance to the Talassemtane National Park
is well worth a visit. It has info on the park, maps of treks and an extensive display of the
flora and fauna found in the park. Registration here is essential if you intend to camp dur-
ing your trek.
