CAFE, MOROCCANCAFEComplexe Touristique Aguelman €
(Ave Hassan II; meals Dh30-50; 9am-10pm) Overlooking the artificial lake on the main road,
this is a huddle of options under one roof, aimed squarely at the local tourist market. There’s a
more formal dining room with Moroccan dishes for the evenings, a bar, and a simple diner with
pizza, pasta, omelettes and sandwiches. In fine weather, eat at the tables outside overlooking
the water.
Le Crouistillant €
(Rue de la Cascade; 7am-10pm) On the corner facing the square, this is a good cafe for a
drink and a sticky pastry.
Information
BMCE (Ave de la Marche Verte) One of several banks with ATMs on this road.
Pharmacie Mischliffen (Rue de la Cascade)
Post office (Ave de la Poste)
Tourist office ( 0535 56 68 21; Ave Prince Moulay Abdallah; 8.30am-noon & 2.30-
6.30pm Mon-Fri)
Getting There & Away
The main bus and grand-taxi stations are next to the market, west of the town centre.
Each morning, CTM buses leave for Marrakesh (Dh140, eight hours) via Beni Mellal, and for
Casablanca (Dh110, 4½ hours) via Meknès (Dh28, one hour) and Rabat (Dh70, 3½ hours).
Non-CTM buses are more frequent. There are hourly buses to Fez (Dh16, one hour) and
Azrou (Dh7, 25 minutes). Less frequent are services to Beni Mellal (Dh55, four hours),
Marrakesh (Dh110, eight hours) and Midelt (Dh42, 3½ hours).
There are plenty of grands taxis to Fez (Dh20), Meknès (Dh24) and Midelt (Dh55), as well as
Azrou (Dh7).
Lake Circuit (Route des Lacs)
A pretty diversion north of Ifrane is the lake circuit around Dayet Aoua . Signposted off the
main Fez road 17km north of Ifrane, the route winds for 60km through the lake country between
the P24 and P20. If you don’t have your own vehicle, hiring a grand taxi in Ifrane for a tour of a
couple of hours should cost around Dh250. That said, the joy of the area is to get out and walk
along the lake shore and enjoy the tranquillity of the scenery. This is an area made for hikers
and mountain bikers. For longer treks and camping, see the boxed text Exploring the Azrou
Area ( Click here ).
Dayet Aoua is surrounded by woodlands, and the whole area is notably rich in bird life. Keep
an eye out in particular for raptors, including booted eagles, black and red kites and harriers.
The lake attracts significant numbers of ducks and waders, including crested coot,
woodpeckers, tree creepers and nuthatches, which flit among the trees around the
southeastern end of the lake.
The lake is a popular picnic destination for families at the weekend, but during the week you’ll