Morocco Day Hikes Part One: The Rif Mountains and The Gorge
The Spanish Mosque at the top of Chefchauen.
Morocco is a day hiker’s paradise. In addition to it being a culinary, surfing, and historical paradise! In this article I share several day hikes that I did in the Rif Mountains and the famous rock climbing region of Morocco known simply to Moroccans as “The Gorge.” (Taghia Gorge.)
The Rif Mountains are known for being home to the “Blue City”, aka Chefchaouen.
Their blue medina has become the IG influencers rage but outside of this the Blue City smack dab in the middle of the Rif Mountains and the opportunities for day hikes here are plentiful!
One item for careful planning in the Rif Mountains though is to know that its home to a large amount of “hashish” farms (marijuana fields.) Its best to avoid these to not startle a farmer and lead to any altercations. Though widely known for being grown here it’s technically illegal. If you are just looking for a solid day hike here’s my recommendations that will also avoid any treks through the marijuana fields!
Sunset in the Blue City from the Spanish Mosque.
Morocco Day Hikes in the Rif and the Gorge!
The Spanish Mosque.
Easy hike leading from the medina in Chefchaouen or through a cemetery and goat trails if leaving from somewhere like Dar Jasmine (the hotel I stayed at while exploring the region.)
No need to hire a local guide unless you would enjoy the conversation, if you take the cemetery route you will be less likely to be asked.
45-60 Minutes Round Trip and you’ll be rewarded with lovely panoramic views of the Blue City.
Akchour Waterfalls and God’s Bridge.
Just a 45-60 minute drive to the other side of the mountains will lead you to a few really epic day hiking options. The Akchour Waterfalls and God’s Bridge can be done in a big day or either one on its own will lead you to truly experience the beauty of the Rif!
I hired local guides to take me to these spots and while they only spoke Derija Arabic they know the trails well. You will find it to be a bit of an overrun touristy beginning to your hikes that will slowly dissipate the farther you go on the trails. Bring your swim trunks and allow for a full day of hiking if you want to go to both spots.
I hired Morocco Shiny Days (ask for Anas) and that made getting to more remote areas of Morocco easy peazy!
Chilly swimming awaits you in the Rif Mountains!
The Old Riverbed Trail at the Taghia Gorge.
The most famous rock climber in the world (Alex Honnold) calls the Taghia Gorge the Yosemite of Morocco.
There’s also a day hike there if you hitting the walls isn’t your thing but you want to do more than just walking through the bottom of the gorge and buying souvenirs.
I had to look hard for this trail but there’s a loop trail that follows an old riverbed. Drive all the way past the souvenir stalls and on your left side as the gorge widens you will see a set of concrete stairs. (Pictured below.)
From there you get a bouldering and day hike combination that follows the old river washout and goat trails that you can do as a out and back, loop, and perhaps be invited into a Berber Village Home for some Whiskey (Moroccan Green Mint Tea with Sugar!)
Jimmy Chin and Alex Honnold have a new Nat Geo documentary on climbing in the gorge and Jimmy says the following in this article…
Taghia is “a mecca for climbers but also has some outrageous hiking and trekking opportunities. It’s not for the faint of heart though with precipitous and adventurous trails unlike I’ve seen anywhere else.”
This staircase will be on your left hand side when driving through the gorge and passing through the end of the souvenir stalls. It’s the beginning of your Taghia Gorge Day Hike.
I love adventuring where Alex and Jimmy also adventure so I felt a special energy after reading so much about this place. I am not fit to climb there but this day hike definitely did the trick!
Overall I have to say that while Morocco is not the PNW in terms of people walking around in convertible pants and hiking shoes it’s a mecca for day hikes and trekking.
The Gorge and The Rif are just two of the spots that you can find a beautiful dirt path to enjoy (and unlike the PNW basically have the trail to yourself!)
My adventures in Morocco were some of my my favorite I have ever experienced and I hope you get to find yourself on one of these trails when you are there. Definitely check out my buds Oualid and Anas from Morocco Shiny Days if you are looking for a trustworthy group to get you around this incredible country.
Bouldering and hiking await you in Morocco, or epic rock climbing!
Have you been to Morocco? What’s your favorite day hike in the country?
Comments below and thanks for reading!
Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R