UNIVERSITYMONUMENTLUXURY HOTELMIDDLE ATLAS
Ifrane
As foreign tourists head to the medinas for a taste of the ‘real’ Morocco, Moroccan tourists find
more favour with places like Ifrane. Tidy, ordered and modern, it feels more like Switzerland
relocated to the Middle Atlas than North Africa.
The French built Ifrane in the 1930s, deliberately trying to recreate an alpine-style resort. It
has neat red-roofed houses, blooming flower beds and lake-studded parks, all kept impeccably
tidy. Many major employers (including the government) maintain apartment complexes here for
their vacationing workers, and it’s a popular summer day trip for picnickers. In the winter, the
affluent flock here to ski, and the hoi polloi come for the pure fun of throwing snowballs at each
other. Outside the holiday season, Ifrane’s population is boosted by the rich, trendy students of
the town’s prestigious Al-Akhawayn University.
The main road from Meknès is called Blvd Mohammed V and it runs through Ifrane from west
to east. This is where you will find the bus station, west of the centre, and the tourist office, at
the intersection with Ave des Tilluels. Most of the cafes and hotels are clustered in the centre
along two parallel roads a 10-minute walk to the south: Rue de la Cascade and Ave de la
Poste.
Sights
Al-Akhawayn University
The campus of Al-Akhawayn University is at the northern end of town, and is a squeaky-clean
showcase of Moroccan education. It was founded in 1995 by Morocco’s King Hassan II and
King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, and includes in its lofty aims the promotion of tolerance between
faiths. For now, only the rich and beautiful need apply – the car parks are full of flash cars, and
the air trills with the most fashionable of mobile-phone ring tones. Lessons in English are based
on the American system and there are US staff and exchange students. You can wander into
the well-kept grounds – weekday afternoons are the best, as there are plenty of students who
are usually willing to show you around.
Stone Lion
Ifrane’s other landmark is the stone lion that sits on a patch of grass near the Hôtel Chamonix.
It was carved by a German soldier during WWII, when Ifrane was used briefly as a prisoner-of-
war camp, and commemorates the last wild Atlas lion, which was shot near here in the early
1920s. Having your picture taken with the lion is something of a ritual for day-trippers.
Sleeping
Hotel prices in Ifrane reflect the town’s affluence, and its year-round popularity means demand
for rooms runs high.