A detour to the Moroccan ski town of Ifrane led to a hike through Ifrane National Park- an incredible alpine forest which is home to troops of wild monkeys. Here’s why you should include it on your road trip through Morocco. (Even if you’ve got a slight monkey fear, like moi).
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We decided to visit Ifrane National Park completely on a whim, on the very same morning that we picked up the hire car from Fes. After a few shaky moments leaving the city (almost ended up at the airport), Chris was adapting rather swimmingly to life on the Moroccan road, but we needed a place to stop en route. Following a couple of zooms in and out of Google Maps in search of options, we settled on Ifrane.
“Let’s go see the monkeys!” I declared. (Somewhat overconfidently, given the fact that I’m actually rather afraid of monkeys.)
A very brief introduction to Ifrane National Park
Ifrane National Park is located high up in the Middle Atlas Mountains of central Morocco; so high up in fact, that during winter, snow isn’t uncommon. (Even without the snow, the scenery here probably isn’t something that you would expect when you think of Morocco.)
These dense forests of magnificent cedar trees are an absolute paradise, and although the native population of Barbary macaques is a big draw for visitors, it’s also a wonderful place to hike through and explore in its own right. The type of wildlife you can spot ranges from the ‘tame’ to the mildly scary: keep your eyes peeled for hares, porcupines, eagles, wolves, hyenas, and of course the Barbary sheep.
It only takes about an hour to travel from Fes to Ifrane National Park by road, so whether you hire a car like we did, or find a driver to take you into the mountains, it’s a really easy trip to make. And a fantastic way to escape the heat and dust of the city.
Ifrane National Park: Logistical Statisticals
- It’s completely free to visit Ifrane National Park. You’ll just need small coins to pay for parking.
- The only pubic transport is a bus running daily between Ifrane and Fes, which takes about an hour and twenty minutes.
- We felt very safe hiking in Ifrane National Park, and I’d take the same level of precautions hiking here as anywhere else. It’s a very peaceful area, and the town of Ifrane is similarly very relaxed.
- Don’t feed the monkeys! Keep food hidden, and keep loose items stowed away if you can.
The town of Ifrane, aka ‘Little Switzerland’
It’s important to get your priorities right in life, and before we headed into the wilderness, we’d obviously need to find some lunch. When we discovered that the town of Ifrane is also known as the ‘Switzerland of Morocco,’ we were quite frankly intrigued, and not because of a false hope of fondue and chocolate. That would just be plain deluded. Could this North African town really be anything like the real life Switzerland??
Having been to the real life Switzerland, the jury’s still out on that one, but I can definitely see where they’re coming from. Because this quiet mountain town looks nothing like anywhere I’ve ever been in the whole of Morocco. There are most certainly some strong Alpine, and distinctly European vibes to it. And not in a Disneyland-esque kind of a way, either. This is the real deal.
Pals, let me explain.
From 1912 until 1956, Morocco was officially a French protectorate. (Everywhere in Morocco except Tangier, but that’s another story.) You might be a tad confused about what a protectorate actually is, and to all intents and purposes it seems kind of like a way of colonising a nation without using the word ‘colonising.’ I’ll let you make up your own mind about that, but this article explains it really well.
With so many French colonial families having migrated to Morocco, they were craving somewhere to cool off during the hot summers, and so plans were made to build a new town high up in the mountains outside of Fes. The plan of the so-called ‘hill station’ was based on European villages that all the French folk so dearly missed: wide roads, chalet-style houses with sloped roofs to protect them from the snow, and plenty of trees and gardens. Ifrane was founded in 1925, and families flocked there during the summer months, eager to escape the soaring temperatures of the city.
After Morocco won back its independence, the French moved out of Ifrane, and slowly but surely Moroccans began to move into the old chalets. The nearby shanty town- where Moroccan maids, gardeners and drivers had lived- was modernised, and mosques, schools and much later the Al Akhawayn University were built.
Pizza in Morocco
On the June day that we arrived in Ifrane, the streets were quiet and the sun was high in the sky. Although some of the buildings are run down, the town is impeccably clean, and I almost felt disoriented by all the open space after the maze of the medina in Fes. A few people sat in the shade outside a coffee shop, and a group of Moroccan tourists took it in turns to take selfies in front of the town’s landmark- a large stone lion sat near the road. He looks like a friendly chap, although the mystery of who carved him is yet to be solved.
Stuffed chaotically into the chimneys of many of the houses were the gargantuan nests of storks, who come to spend the summers in the city just like the French did back in the day. You’d think it’s a precarious spot, balanced on a chimney-pot, but they fly the nest in autumn to escape the winter snow, travelling across the Sahara desert in search of warmer climes.
After five days of a mostly tagine-based diet, when we spotted My Lil Rome, we decided it was a must. If for no other reason than to get a bit of variety onto our plates; we were very aware that where we were headed, it was likely to be more tagines for the foreseeable. (Moroccan food is truly delicious, but in my experience it’s not overly varied. What can ya do?)
And I’m telling you now, pals: I don’t know why we were so surprised, but we were so surprised. That pizza was truly delicious, in fact it was definitely on par with many an Italian pizza that I’ve sampled. Add in the truly lovely people running the place, and you’ve got a recipe for success.
Full of cheese and dough, we made our way back to the car park by a seemingly abandoned bowling alley, paid the attendant a few dirham, and rolled on out of the city.
A note on parking in Morocco:
In the same way that it’s quite normal for European or US car parks to charge for parking, this applies in Morocco. However, instead of paying via a machine or an app, parking attendants sit inside a car park or on the street, and collect a few coins in exchange for watching over your car.
I actually quite like the system, which allows for some actual human interaction. Imagine that- it’s a breath of fresh air! 2 or 3 dirham for a short stay is usually fine. Read my complete guide to driving in Morocco.
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That awkward moment when you remember you’re afraid of monkeys
I’d conveniently forgotten that I’m a little bit afraid of monkeys, which is a bit silly considering I was the one who suggested going to Ifrane National Park in the first place. I think it’s the way they hang out in gangs and get quite territorial, like a group of teenagers outside a corner shop. You know? We drove past a small posse at the side of the road and a bolt of fear jolted through me like lightening. Oh dear.
We pulled into a car park opposite a row of makeshift stalls selling souvenirs at the roadside, and one of the parking attendants leapt up to guide us into a space under a tree. (We didn’t really need help being guided in; the car park was massive and there was only a handful of other cars in there. But that’s just the way it goes in Morocco. Someone will wave you in or guide you out whether you like it or not.) A Barbary Macaque sat on a branch directly above us, watching as Chris exited the vehicle. I opened my door slowly and a second monkey sidled in our direction, giving me the side-eye as he advanced diagonally.
Pals. I never used to be afraid of monkeys, it’s just that I’ve visited enough places around the world to know that where monkeys and humans co-exist, you’re in for a mugging. They are the seagulls of the primate world, and given half a chance they will rob you blind. Okay!?
The Barbary Macaques of Ifrane National Park
Once upon a time, North Africa’s population of Barbary Macaques was sizeable, but gradually their numbers have declined and this tail-less monkey is now officially an endangered species. The main reason for this is thought to be the decline of the forested areas that form their natural environments, whether by climate change or human deforestation.
Macaques are also a popular pet on the illegal animal market, so these creatures are extremely vulnerable to capture from humans, especially when they get too comfortable being around tourists. Later on in our trip we saw several monkeys on leads in Marrakesh, wearing tutus for photos. It’s pretty heartbreaking, pals, and I couldn’t help but wonder where those monkeys had been obtained.
Morocco is now thought to be home to around 9000 monkeys, while around 3000 live in Algeria, and a tiny (semi-wild) population live on the bizarre rock of Gibraltar over in Europe.
As a densely forested, and protected, area, Ifrane National Park is a bit of a haven for these guys. Around a quarter of the entire population of Barbary Macaques- in the whole entire world- live amongst these cedar and oak trees.
I’d read several reports online of tourists and locals getting far too close to the monkeys in the Cedar Forest (the specific part of Ifrane National Park that we headed for), and it’s clear that some of the monkeys are very comfortable to approach humans. The day we visited was very quiet in terms of other visitors, but in a clearing where a few souvenir stalls were arranged we did see a group of visitors feeding a monkey by hand.
However, we also saw plenty wandering through the trees and across quiet grassy clearings, and it was really, really amazing. I’ve seen monkeys in the wild before, but always in more tropical locations like Mauritius or Costa Rica. Never did I ever think I’d see a family of monkeys walking through the dappled sunshine of a pine forest.
Hiking in Ifrane National Park
In case you’re curious about our hiking route in Ifrane National Park, or want to try it for yourself: we parked here, and followed the P7217 road in a crescent loop, leaving it to follow a footpath back to the start of our walk (and the car). The whole thing took a few hours.
The motley collection of parking attendants (honestly, I’m flabbergasted by the sheer numbers of parking attendants in Morocco) gave us a cheery wave and went back to eating their nuts and chatting as we set off into the unknown. The sun was blinding, the sky was a vivid blue, and despite the heat the air was decidedly cooler than we’d become acclimatised to. It was absolutely stunning.
It took a while for us to twig that this wasn’t a path, it was an actual road, but a grand total of four vehicles passed us on the whole walk, so that really wasn’t a problem. And this was more of a gravellish track than a road, let’s face it. In a distant clearing, we spotted a local couple having a picnic on a blanket beneath the trees, and the twittering of birdsong completely filled the air. It was so serene and peaceful that I couldn’t quite believe it was true. l just could not get over the fact that we were in Morocco; Ifrane National Park couldn’t have been further removed from what I’d expected from our trip.
Other than the picnickers and the handful of cars, we didn’t see a single soul until we reached the collection of gift shacks centred around a tall, skeletal cedar. Honey, tagines and hand-crafted miniature houses were all for sale, but nobody approached us to buy anything. This was a common theme for our entire trip through Morocco, pals. We’d entered expecting constant harassment, and left feeling pleasantly surprised and quite calm and collected. What a place.
We were so, so glad that we took this detour to Ifrane National Park. Fresh, clear air and a troop of suspicious macaques. What more could you want from a hike through the forest?
Hotel Review: The Riad Sidrat, Fes
Our Complete Morocco Itinerary