SIDI IFNI

Between sea, mountains and the Great South

Ocean city, Atlas, Sahara? Sidi Ifni is one of those sweet cocktails like the south of Morocco is able to offer us.

Nestled on a cliff, the last vestige of the foothills of the Anti Atlas, it dominates the blue-green of this Atlantic Ocean from which it draws its main resources.

Strategic enclave

The Sidi Ifni region is the birthplace and stronghold of Aït Baamrane, powerful confederation of Berber tribes known throughout southern Morocco for its struggle in the 1930s against the French invaders than Spanish so then during the Ifni War 'la guerra olvidada Spanish in 1957/1958.

Granted to Spain by a Spanish-Moroccan Treaty of 1767 in order to create fisheries sardines, development actually in 1934 when General Franco decided to make this enclave a strategic military base. It was not until June 1969 to be finally qu'Ifni Moroccan and 2010 it is free of the provincial supervision of Tiznit

                                       

Dispersed urbanism

Of his Spanish years, it retains the colonial structure of a grid of streets and avenues leading to the central square oval, urban architecture in which buildings have kept the art deco style very popular in Spain in the 1930s.

The old cathedral converted into court, his presbytery became library, the old Admiralty, the lighthouse and many houses with trees and flowers gardens along Avenue Mohammed V are always there to remind us that time. Mecca of urban entertainment, instead Hassan II, former Plaza de España offers a splendid view of the ocean

Besides the eccentric harbor on the south side of the airport, Sidi Ifni, has two parts. One former, around the place where Hassan II focused most services and hotel as well as the municipal market infrastructure.

The other area is in turn separated from a good kilometer from the city center through the avenues and Houria El Al Quds. Here is the particular position, the Grand Mosque and the public garden Annasr, restaurants as well as Internet cafes always helpful.

Beaches and waves

The main activity of Sidi Ifni port remains with the traditional fishery. Sardines, sea bream, croakers landed there in the afternoon sparking great excitement around, the port market, then to the city waking up in the late afternoon.

Its mild winter climate, proximity to large and beautiful white sand beaches, interspersed with ocher cliffs, natural arches and coves friendly, make Sidi Ifni a popular tourist destination with a variety.

The huge and well appointed White Beach south, attracting more and more fans of seaside activities. It is facing the small island of El Gziral Lazgira on the beach, 10km north on the road to Mirleft that surfers and windsurfers like to gather. This beach dressed natural arches created by the ocean ebb and flow, is as much a place of nautical appointment as privileged or amateur anglers site.

The last bastions of the Atlas

Its mountain side is very quickly felt as soon as his back country one enters. Anti Atlas to the Atlantic to the impetuous waves, delivers small mountains at lower elevations. A semi-arid environment already foreshadowing the close regs Saharan while keeping the soul of these small traditional Berber villages perched on hillsides or hidden in tiny intimate valleys.

This is the gorge of Wadi Nun, the mouth of which generously hosts flamingos, turtles, herons who come hibernate or breed. A nice breath of fresh air in this canyon dotted with houses, almost steep sides, decorated with cultivated terraces. On a cliff overlooking the river, the old French military fort Bou Jerif always seems to watch over the tranquility of the surroundings.

Local products in vogue

There are many of these little hidden valleys, fed argan oil is tasty which one of the jewels of the local cultures. Cacti, commonly the prickly pears, are also part of the landscape nicely.

Seeds of fruit, akneri Berber, much appreciated by the locals, is derived tasty oil, one of the main features is to be the most expensive oil in the world. Its development is long, meticulous and quantities produced minimal. But its unique taste makes an extraordinary result and taste makes it a highly coveted by top chefs as Moroccan and foreign oil.

Small hidden Edens

Many can be made daily incursions of Sidi Ifni drive to better understand these discrete locations in a hinterland surprising.

Village Tioughza is east of Sidi Ifni. The picturesque road along for a moment before sinking coastline in small mountains to get to this town they surround. Always winding it then leads to the river before joining Salogmad Amellou and Mesti where the Tafyucht developing and promoting the products of the argan cooperative.

It's a little south of Ifni found locality Sbouya stronghold of the Berber tribe of the same name. Between sea and mountains is in this locality that are typically Presaharan exploited the prickly shrubs which are grown with pride and development in Aknari cooperative.