Uncovering North Morocco

I haven't been on the road in a while and one of my unexplored "corners" kept nudging me to make a visit.  So, I took a couple days to head east and check out Taza and Oujda for a couple days.  Though limited to a national park, a large hole and an old border town in decline, I've been hankering for the right time to visit it for a while.

And, after my first day on the road, the trip felt good enough to extend and include the Mediterranean coast, northern Rif mountains and a second look of Tangier.  After three days and more than 24 hours of driving, the decision to extend was the right one, but I don't anticipate making it again.  Thankfully, a couple of untouched gems (Tetouan and Sebta) remain unexplored but aren't too far east!

The route (click HERE for map) covered the entirety of northern Morocco and included Tazeeka National Park south of Taza, John the Baptist's Mausoleum in Oujda, the Beni Snassen Mountain Range, the Mediterranean Coast, Rif Mountains, Tangier, Cap Spartel and Hercules' Grotto.  I brought the big camera, so I'll let it do the talking (though I wish I had a poster-printer for some of the shots)...

Tazeeka's Cascades at Ras Al-Oued as seen from the highway some 200 feet above.

 Tazeeka's Gouffre du Friouato: Over 20m wide and 230m deep, its the deepest cavern in North Africa.  

 Discovered in 1935 and still only partially explored.  Look hard and you can see some of the stairs sloping from left to right in the center.

There are 520 steps to the bottom (where the light goes out and a torch-led guide is required).  I didn't opt for the guide...maybe next time.

The drive to Oujda was pretty bland, reminding me of California's Mojave: A thriving provincial capital along the Algerian border until the border closed in 1995, the city's been in decline ever since but still feels modern despite the vast tracks of vacant housing developments.

 Sidi Yahia Mausoleum.  A short drive to Oujda's east, Christians, Jews and Muslims share the privilege of being able to visit the grave of the city's patron saint: John the Baptist.  Yearly, all of them gather for a September patronage.

 The Mosque, open to all creeds due to the Saint's prominence. 

 The chamber room, ornamented, carpeted and holding only the tomb.

 The tomb measures over 7' tall and 15' long.  Covered by dull green linens, I didn't see the actual crypt.

 The Mausoleum's Cemetery.  Below are rows of tombstones behind the wall.

 The Beni Snassen Mountains, located west of Oujda, also are home to a national park, large vistas and winding roads that overlook almond trees, cedar groves, patches of pines and Barbary goats.

 After a wrong turn, I went two-tracking.  Thank God for four-wheel drive!

 Back on flatter ground, the drive along the Mediterranean Coast was much more agreeable, reminding me of California's Big Sur.

A white-washed island fortress near Nador.

 Al-Hoceima's white walls glide up the mountain isthmus 

The only building in miles, a white Mosque west of Al-Hoceima

 Clouds trying to cover the Rif Mountains

 A ray of hope: After 4 winding hours, a much-needed bright spot

The Rif west of the blue city of Chefchaouen, somehow also blue.

 Part of Tangier's port, glistening in the rain.

 The lighthouse at Cap Spartel, Africa's most NW corner overlooking where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean.

 The inside of Hercules' Grotto, where - as legend has it - the strongman stayed prior to completing one of his 12 feets of strength.

The Grotto's opening, a backwards look at the African continent if you cut off the lower tenth.