Chefchaouen (Dh15). Most passing vehicles will stop to pick you up if they have space – a case
of paid hitchhiking. They may drop you at Dar Ackoubaa, the junction town 10km north of
Chefchaouen on the N2 highway.
Side Trip: God’s Bridge
With an early start from Afeska, you can reach Akchour by lunchtime, giving time for the short
hike (1½ hours, 3km return) to God’s Bridge – an unlikely geological structure that shouldn’t be
missed.
The path south from Akchour’s dam up the Oued Farda is rough in places, but well worth any
scrambling. You’ll also have to cross the river twice but this is quite easy where it’s not deep –
if you don’t mind the occasional splash. (However, if you’re trekking in spring, check in Afeska
that snow melt hasn’t made the river impassable.) God’s Bridge is about 45 minutes from
Akchour. A huge red stone arch towers 25m above the river and it almost beggars belief that it
was carved by nature and not by human hand. Over countless millennia, the river flowed as an
underground watercourse, eroding the rock and carving a path deeper and deeper, leaving the
bridge high and dry.
Day 3: Akchour to Pastures above Abou Bnar
4½-SIX HRS/12KM/977M ASCENT
An early morning start (with full water bottles, since there are no springs on the route until you
reach Izrafene) sees you leaving Akchour by heading to the north, crossing the bridge over the
Oued Kelaâ and then cutting right (southeast) along the track to Izrafene. It’s a particularly
picturesque walk as you climb up and around Jebel Azra (1375m). Your eyes lift from the
steep gorges you’ve trekked through and out over the sweep of open mountains. If you’re up
for some scrambling, add half an hour to attain the peak, from where you can drink in further
gorgeous views.
Having cut around the mountain, the countryside becomes gentler – rolling even – as the trail
heads south. The village of Izrafene marks the halfway point of the day’s trek. Just before the
village, a track bears east at a col, tempting the adventurous to abandon the Bab Taza hike and
walk to Taourarte (where there’s a gîte ) and on to Bou-Ahmed on the coast, a further two to
three days’ walk.
From Izrafene, the track turns into a 4WD piste – the first since Afeska. It follows a narrow
valley, gradually turning east up onto a ridge with gentle views. Where it forks, turn left, and
then, just 25m later, turn right onto a trail that heads southeast to Abou Bnar through a pretty
stretch of oak wood. There’s little to detain you here, so continue alongside the river (not the
4WD track) through the open, grassy country to the marabout of Sidi Jil . This is a pretty area
for camping, but if you continue for another 30 minutes, you’ll come to an even more beautiful
spot, set in wide pasture near the El-Ma Souka spring – an idyllic place for a night’s rest.
Alternative Route: Return to Chefchaouen
It’s possible to trek back to Chefchaouen from Akchour in a day by an alternate route. The
route goes via the villages of Ouslaf , Arhermane and El-Kelaâ . El-Kelaâ is the site of
fascinating Mosquée Srifi-yenne , with its strange leaning tower. This route takes a quick six
hours and avoids any major climbs or descents.