Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Oujda (Dh100, three hours) and Al-Hoceima (Dh75, three hours). A grand taxi return trip
to the Gouffre du Friouato costs Dh300.
TRAIN
Taza's location on the train line makes rail the best transport option. Three trains run to
Fez (Dh56, two hours). Four continue to Meknès (Dh82, three hours), and three to Rabat
(Dh165, 5½ hours) and Casablanca (Dh204, 6½ hours). There is one direct train to Tangi-
er (Dh212, seven hours), and three changing at Sidi Kacem or Fez. In the opposite direc-
tion, three trains go to Oujda (Dh111, 3½ hours).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Jebel Tazzeka Circuit
It's possible to make an interesting day trip of a circuit around Jebel Tazzeka, southwest of
Taza. The Hôtel La Tour Eiffel (
Click here
)
has a good hand-drawn map. This takes in the
Cascades de Ras el-Oued at the edge of Tazzeka National Park, the cave systems of Gouf-
fre du Friouato and the gorges of the Oued Zireg. The scenery is grand, although the road
is very narrow and twisty in parts, with plenty of blind corners from which grands taxis
can unexpectedly speed around.
If you don't have a vehicle, expect to pay around Dh600 for a grand taxi for the day
from Taza, although a few direct grands taxis to the Gouffre du Friouato can sometimes be
found near the train station.
THE FIRST LEG
The first stop is the
Cascades de Ras el-Oued
, 10km from Taza. A popular picnic site, they're
at their grandest in the early spring, flushed with rain and snow melt - by the end of sum-
mer the flow is just a trickle. Just above the waterfalls is the village of
Ras el-Mar
, where
there's a small cafe below the road, with great mountain views. The entry to
Tazzeka Na-
tional Park
is also near here. With its stands of cork oak you could conceivably spend a day
walking here.
Leaving the waterfalls, continue along the right fork onto the plateau and up to a small
pass. On your left you'll see the strange depression of the
Daïa Chiker
, a dry lake bed. In
early spring, however, a shallow lake often forms as a result of a geological curiosity as-
sociated with fault lines in the calciferous rock structure.
