Sunshine, golden sands and faded colonial charm await you in this sleepy corner on Morocco’s Atlantic Coast
Sipping mint tea at a beach-side table, watching the waves gently lapping against the shore without a care in the World, it is easy to see how people become enchanted with this part of Morocco.
As we’d made our way south along the Atlantic coast, more than once we’d heard tales of Sidi Ifni and of schedules being delayed, plans changed and stays extended. Sometimes you just can’t beat sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the sunshine.
Sidi Ifni
Unless planning a trip to the disputed territory of Western Sahara further to the south, Sidi Ifni is often as far south along Morocco’s Atlantic coast that most visitors will venture. With a long colonial history of Spanish occupation and control only coming to an end in the 1950s, the small city displays this legacy with an architectural style quite different to other places surrounding it.
Next to the ocean and exposed to the elements, as paint flakes, plaster crumbles and iron railings surrender to rust, the grandeur of the old town slowly fades, but still retains a lot of its charm.
Grand colonial coastal residences line the streets that surround the focal point of the Spanish old town: Place Hassan II, a roundabout centred around the ageing art deco former administrative buildings.
The old town occupies an elevated position, looking down from the clifftop onto the ocean below. Descending down to the seafront brings you to a sandy beach with paved promenade, perfect for a stroll or for people watching from one of the pavement cafes.
Where to eat in Sidi Ifni…
Being by the coast, it won’t surprise anyone to hear that seafood specialities are the order of the day around town. Located in what is now a fairly conservative part of Morocco, don’t expect to find too many (if any) licensed premises selling alcohol.
The pick of places to eat is Le Nomad restaurant. Inspired by French cuisine and consistently busy, this is a lovely little spot serving up tasty, fresh and local food. They went out of their way to accommodate the particular requests of our fussy children which was greatly appreciated.
Legzira
A short drive north along the coast from Sidi Ifni leads you to the small town of Legzira. Whilst the town itself is not much to speak of, it sits on the cliffs above what is arguably the best beach along this entire southern Moroccan stretch of coastline, Legzira Beach.
Legzira Beach is a beautiful, long and largely unspoiled stretch of sand. While pleasingly free of rubbish, sadly, like most of the Moroccan coast, micro-plastics deposited on the tide line are a sad and ever-present sign of the times. That doesn’t detract from the fact that this remains a really beautiful beach and a great one to visit with children.
The beach is backed by large, red cliffs and at one end of the beach is a striking natural sea arch feature. The beach has been a long time favourite with paragliders, with wave after wave of them taking off and descending from the clifftop, riding the thermals before landing on the beach below. It makes for an interesting backdrop while relaxing on the beach. It is also possible to hire surfboards from a small, local outfit on the beach.
Where to eat in Legzira…
At the rear of the beach with tables spreading onto the sand, there are a small line of cafe restaurants. It was great to relax with a mint tea while the children happily and safely played in the sand on the beach right in front of us. One of these restaurants is the Auberge Beach Club Legzira, serving up decent Moroccon food for very reasonable prices.
Where to stay…
Sidi Ifni
The pick of the guesthouses in Sidi Ifni is Logis La Marine. It is positioned right on the seafront with unbeatable ocean views, offering smart rooms with private bathrooms and wifi. For families there is the option of a 2 room family suite.
Legzira
The Auberge Beach Club Legzira offers decent enough rooms in a relaxed spot right on the beach. For anyone feeling adventurous, a short walk along the beach brings you to the Atlantique Orange Bivouac – a charming collection of berber tents that has been lovingly setup at the rear of the sand, complete with a range of comfy indoor and outdoor seating options – think ‘glamping’, Moroccan style.
Campsites and Camper Parking
If, like we were, you are visiting in a camper, Sidi Ifni has a selection of campsites on offer, all occupying spaces on the lower level of town down by the sea. There are plenty of locals on hand to offer their services to any visitors who might need them. Intricate painted murals for vans seem to be a particular speciality of this area.
We decided to stay away from Sidi Ifni town, opting for a stay at Legzira Beach instead. On arrival we parked up in the beach-side car park, paying a couple of € for the privilege. After a little negotiation, the very pleasant guys attending the car park said that we would be fine to stay there overnight, for no additional cost. They even moved us to a space that was flat and overlooking the sea once others had left for the day. The sunset that night was beautiful and it made for one of the best non-campsite locations that we stayed on anywhere in Morocco. The spot was also being enjoyed by a couple of other foreign families doing the same in their vans.
In Summary
You can easily see how people get charmed by the laid-back and calming pace of life in this beautifully sunny part of Morocco. We would have loved to have been able to linger for longer. Unusually for us though, we had a reservation awaiting us far away in the desert. So we packed up in the morning and set off on what was to be a truly epic road trip, up and over the Anti Atlas mountains and onwards towards the Sahara.
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I have never been to this part of Morocco, in fact it was not on my radar before. Will be adding it to my never ending bucketlist!
Thanks so much!!
I love how relaxed this sounds.