Three Day Hike in the Rif Mountains

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Any rooftop terrace in Chefchaouen will provide great views of the surrounding Rif Mountains, many of which are located within Talassemtane National Park. This mountain range in Northern Morocco is very accessible from Chefchaouen and the numerous peaks really piqued(!) the interest of two very eager hikers! After seeing it recommended in a guide book, Mac and I decided to do a three day hike in the Rif Mountains. To prepare, we separated our hiking clothes from our regular clothes and put our extraneous stuff in a pack that we stored at our hostel. Afterwards, we made quick trip to the medina stalls and local markets to stock up on snacks and fruit for the hike. (We planned to stay at guest houses (gites) which provided dinner and breakfast, so packing full meals wasn’t necessary.) By mid-morning we were all set and ready to HIKE!

Three Day Hike in the Rif Mountains

Day 1 – Chefchaouen to Azilane

Upon leaving the blue walls of Chefchaouen, we hiked uphill to the EcoMuseum on the edge of town. As the exhibit was only in French and Arabic, we weren’t able to gain a lot of insight from it. There were a lot of interesting pictures of flora and fauna however! From there we began hiking on a gravel track that runs through the National Park. In French it’s referred to as a piste.

The first half of the first day was entirely uphill. After we made it to the first (of many) hairpin turns we took a break to stretch and admire the views of the blue city below. From there it was up, up, up for ages. A look at our maps was the opposite of encouraging as they showed that we still had several kilometres (and several hundred metres of elevation gain) to go before we reached the pass. Just as I was beginning to get a quiver in my quads, a kind Moroccan in a 4×4 Jeep pulled up and offered us a lift. He navigated the rocky piste with ease and probably saved us about 45 minutes to an hour of hiking. We hiked up to the top of the pass (~1800m) with new energy and admired the epic views as we stood above the clouds.

Those clouds were a clear sign of things to come. Though the weather remained decent, as we descended our way into the valley on the other side of the mountain range we were quickly engulfed by a damp fog. The misty atmosphere was neat for a while until we realised that the precious views that usually make up the highlight reel of our hikes were now hidden behind a wall of cloud.

Things didn’t improve as we descended further into the valley. We arrived in Azilane by mid-afternoon and decided to push on further towards Afeska. After discovering that the guest house in Afeska was charging much higher prices than the one in Azilane, we retraced our steps and returned back the way we came. (We had limited cash with us, and there were no ATMs in the forest, so budgeting was of the essence for this hike.) We spent the evening warming up by the roaring fire and enjoying a huge homemade dinner of seasoned rice, tagine, salad, olives, and bread.

Distance: 15km & 1100m elevation gain

Note: a popular (but quite long) day hike from Chefchaouen is to the summit of Jebel el-Kelaa. At one of the many hairpin turns the clearly marked trail splits and continues towards the summit. At 1616m it provides a fantastic view over the city. Plan to take about 9 hours return for this hike.

Day 2 – Azilane to Akchour

After a traditional breakfast of bread + spreads (and an egg for Mac) we were off hiking again. The clouds from yesterday had cleared and we were finally able to see the area through which we had hiked the day before! The road splits in Afeska – the piste continues right while the trail goes left through the village. After the village the trail opens out into an amazing meadow with an epic view over the valley. Be sure to continue straight down the meadow – the middle of the three-trail junction here.

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Sadly, the fog soon reappeared as we descended further into the valley from Afeska. Normally Mac and I are decently quick hikers, but being engulfed by a damp mist for hours on end had us both hiking slower and more subdued. This slower pace was actually a nice change and Mac and I both agreed that we do our best thinking while hiking.

Thankfully the visibility improved as we hiked down towards Ouslaf. This small valley town was just starting to show signs of spring and the blooming trees and flowers sure helped to brighten up the otherwise grey day.

God’s Bridge

Mac and I could see on our map that there was a trail leading to God’s Bridge (our hiking goal for the afternoon), but it seemed to pass right through the yard of a local family. We cautiously approached a woman outside, taking care not to rub our dirty backpacks on the freshly laundered clothes on the line and asked for directions to Pont du Dieu (while making extravagant hand gestures and plastering on wide smiles). The woman mumbled a vague reply in Arabic with a nonchalant gesture through her garden and up the hillside. We gratefully pressed on and as we were passing by the family’s outdoor clay oven we were offered a fresh khobz by the daughter, still hot, and smelling so good. At first we politely refused (the khobz she offered was HUGE) but she quickly pulled out a smaller one to which we couldn’t turn down. It proved to be excellent fuel as we set about finishing our hike for the day.

Khobz is a traditional Moroccan bread eaten at mealtimes. It’s flat – only 2cm thick – and round, varying in size. Khobz is great for dipping in tagine, couscous, lentil soup, you name it! The most common type is made with white flour, but we definitely ate our share of wholemeal khobz too!

Fully sated with bread (and rough directions), it didn’t take long to link up with the trail that led to God’s Bridge. I’m so glad we didn’t look at pictures of the area before we hiked there. The surprise of seeing this incredible wonder for the first time was jaw-dropping. When we rounded the corner and looked across the valley to the natural rock bridge that connects two hillsides. This kind of structure seems impossible, especially since it’s hundreds of meters above the valley floor and flowing river below.

We made our way along the hillsides and eventually down to walk across the bridge. “Walked” may be a bit of an overstatement. I scurried across and back like it was a perilous structure about to give out at any second. Thankfully I survived and we were soon headed towards the small town of Akchour.

The trail descends pretty far down and finishes alongside the river. In the warmer months and during the busy tourist season, the banks of the river are packed with cafes and shops. During our hike in mid-February it was almost a ghost-town. We arrived in Akchour and got a room for the evening. Dinner was a tagine with a salad and bread and we spent the evening playing cards and stretching out our tired muscles.

Distance: 15km

Day 3 – Akchour to Grande Cascade (and back to Chefchaouen)

After an early breakfast of bread + spreads, we were on our way to Grande Cascade d’Akchour. This impressive waterfall was the last stop of our three day hike in the Rif Mountains. The early start meant that we had the trail mostly to ourselves. To get to the trail, follow the road towards the hydroelectric dam. Cross the bridge and keep straight until the bathrooms – here the trail splits up and to the left. The trail winds gradually uphill and follows the river through the forest. There are quite a number of river crossings which require a bit more grace and agility than what I happen to possess. Thankfully there were no wet feet as a result of these crossings, just a few precarious moments atop wobbly wooden bridges.

The near-constant uphill means that we were treated to several smaller waterfalls en route to the Grande Cascade. Similar to the trail to God’s Bridge, this trail was lined with stalls and restaurants that are no doubt overflowing in the high season.

After a longer-than-expected hike (thanks to the misleading advice of our guest house owner), we arrived at the waterfall. There were only a few locals there at that hour and we were able to take in the impressive sight of this towering fall in relative peace and calm. As is the nature in all tourist places in Morocco, there was a family-run restaurant near the base of the falls with tables and chairs set up all over the rocky terrain. It was tempting to stop and rest our legs, but we opted to turn back and retrace our steps back to Akchour.

The way back was much easier thanks to the gradual downhill and we made it back to our guest house by lunchtime. We had read that there is a trail that leads back to Chefchaouen, but it’s an additional 20km and neither Mac nor I were quite willing enough to take on that challenge. Instead we found a pair of students from Rabat and we split a Grand Taxi with them back to Chefchaouen. Our legs were definitely appreciative of that decision!

Distance: 12km (400m elevation gain)

Time: 3 hours round trip

Practical Information for a Three Day Hike in the Rif Mountains

Azilane

We stayed at Auberge Azilane. The easiest way to get to this guest house is via the second trail into the village. Our host Mohammed was very welcoming and made sure we were comfortable. We paid 400dh (total – 200dh each, ~$42USD) for a night in the auberge. This price included dinner and breakfast, both of which were substantial and delicious.* Despite the wood fire, we were pretty cold at night. We made good use of the 5+ blankets in our room!

The gite that we first went to in Afeska was notably nicer and more modern. It was 500dh per night. Both gites were equipped to handle what is presumed to be a very busy summer season given the number of beds available.

*If you’re vegetarian – or have any other dietary considerations – be sure to clearly communicate that to the host. We said (in about 4 different languages) that we were vegetarian and didn’t want chicken, yet our tagine still came with some cooked right inside. We picked it out for the family to consume instead, but it was rather frustrating.

Akchour

We stayed at the Gite on top of the hill in Akchour. (There aren’t many options for accommodation, and Akchour isn’t that big, so this place isn’t too hard to find.) We were able to negotiate a lower price (an extremely common practice in Morocco and one we felt comfortable doing here due to its much closer proximity to civilization than the gite in Azilane).  We paid 350dh (total – 175dh each, ~$37USD) for a room with dinner and breakfast. Our meals were eaten in the family-run restaurant just down the hill from the gite. Make sure to bring a headlamp if you’re taking dinner near dusk!

Guide?

I did plenty of research prior to doing this hike and we were very comfortable not hiring a guide. We downloaded the maps for the park on our phones (via the app maps.me) and made sure our phones were fully charged each morning (and carried a portable battery charger as back up). All the trails were very well trodden and though there might not have been markers or blazes at every turn we consulted the GPS on the maps and used our judgement when necessary (which was very infrequent). A guide might be able to tell you interesting things about the surrounding area, but we were happy to hike on our own and take in the sights as they appeared. Our situation of hiking from Chefchaouen would have made it more of a logistical challenge and definitely a more expensive endeavour had we decided to hire a guide.

Transportation to Chefchaouen

In the parking lot past the hydroelectric dam, numerous Grand Taxis wait to shuttle visitors and tourists back and forth to Chefchaouen. A Grand Taxi fits 6 adults and they wait until they are full before leaving. Many drivers will try and convince you to leave right now by paying a higher price, but if time is on your side just wait until it fills up (which it always does). A grand taxi to Chefchaouen is 25dh per person (2.30EUR, or $2.60USD). The drive back to the city is really beautiful.

This three day hike in the Rif Mountains was a perfect escape to nature. We were able to explore the Rif Mountains and see some lesser-known parts of the area while also experiencing the great natural wonders too. If you’re looking from a break from the city, I’d highly recommend this hike!

Tell me, what’s the coolest natural wonder you’ve seen?

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