Morocco Travel Guide

C4

A3

C1

A3

C1

(see    2)

C4

C1

C3

D1

B2

B2

(see    16)

D3

B4

B4

(see    2)

B4

HISTORIC    BUILDINGS

4    Letterbox

5    Royal  Palace

6    Ship   House

7    Town   Hall

Activities, Courses &   Tours

8    Sahara Surf    Shop

    Sleeping

Hôtel   Bellevue

9    Hôtel  Ère Nouvelle

10   Hôtel  Suerte  Loca

11   Xanadu

    Eating

12   Café-Restaurant    el-Hourria

13   Café-Restaurant    Mar Pequeña

14   Café-Restaurant    Nomad

Fish    Market

15   Fruit  &   Vegetable   Market

16   Snack  Stands  &   Cafes

    Drinking

17   Cafes

Hôtel   Bellevue

    Shopping

18   Ensemble   Artisanal

History

Spain acquired the enclave of Sidi Ifni after defeating the Moroccan forces in the war of 1859.
They christened their new possession Santa Cruz del Mar Pequeña, but seem to have been
uncertain what to do with it as they did not take full possession until 1934. Most of Sidi Ifni
dates from the 1930s and features an eclectic mix of art deco and traditional Moroccan styles.

On Moroccan independence in the late 1950s, Spain refused to withdraw, citing the fact that
some 60% of the town’s population was Spanish. The protracted dispute over territorial rights
included the Ifni War, in which the town was sieged. It eventually ended in 1969, when the UN
brokered an agreement for Spain to cede the enclave back to Morocco. Santa Cruz was
renamed Sidi Ifni, after a holy man buried in the town in the early 1900s. Ifni still celebrates
‘Independence Day’ (30 June) with a festival on the abandoned airfield.

It might seem a contented place, but recent years have seen clashes between the police and
townsfolk, sparked by high unemployment and the marginalisation of independently spirited Ifni.

Sights & Activities

Spanish Sidi Ifni