Sidi Ifni
POP 20,600
Returned to Morocco by the Spanish as late as 1969, Sidi Ifni adds a dash of Gabriel García
Márquez to the usual Moroccan tajine. The slowly decaying art-deco buildings on the hilly
streets are a haunting reminder of colonial ambitions. At the heart of what was the Spanish
Sahara, Sidi Ifni was once a base for slave-trading operations and later a large exporter of fish
to the Spanish mainland. When the sun sets on the esplanade and dilapidated calles (streets),
and the Atlantic mist gives everything a soft focus, Ifni seems an eerie outpost.
The locals have painted the town blue and white, and continue the colour scheme in their
turbans and robes. They support Spanish football teams, take siestas and are more likely to
greet travellers with hola than bonjour . You might hear Bob Dylan blaring from a cafe or get
into a philosophical conversation; it’s an intellectual spot, where the expats and local cafe crowd
are laid-back even by Moroccan standards.
Ifni is a unique place that, in the words of one European resident, keeps the spirit young.