Al Hoceima National Park

A Mediterranean Coastal Park Of Limestone Cliffs, Coves And Offshore Islets, Holding What Is Commonly Described As One Of The Largest Remaining Osprey Populations In The Mediterranean · Al Hoceima, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima

Al Hoceima National Park runs along the Mediterranean west of Al Hoceima town, where the eastern Rif drops into the sea in grey limestone cliffs, and it is the most spectacular stretch of coast in northern Morocco that almost nobody visits. Established in 2004, it protects both land and a strip of sea: headlands, hidden coves, offshore islets, thuya and juniper scrub on the slopes, and the villages that work the water below them. Its real claim is birds. These cliffs hold what is commonly described as one of the largest remaining osprey populations in the Mediterranean, along with Audouin's gull and nesting cliff raptors, and the water is clear enough that snorkelling and diving are worth the trip on their own. Honest caveats: this is not a park with a visitor centre, marked loops and a shop. Access is informal, signage is poor to absent, the best coves need a boatman or a local driver, the roads in are long and winding, and the summer crowds go to the town beaches rather than out here.

Mediterranean coast west of Al Hoceima town, between Cala Iris and the Bades headland, reached off the N16, Al Hoceima, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco

The park is open ground with no gate, no ticket and no opening hours, walked and swum in daylight all year. There is no visitor centre to plan a day around; the park administration sits in Al Hoceima town and is not set up for drop-in visitors, so your real information comes from the villages at Cala Iris and Torres de Alcala. Boat trips to the coves run informally from the small harbour at Cala Iris through the settled weather, roughly May to September, and are agreed on the morning rather than booked ahead; in winter the swell cancels them for days at a time. Getting there: Al Hoceima has an airport with limited domestic and seasonal flights and is a long drive from anywhere else - roughly 2.5 hours from Nador, around 4 hours from Tetouan or Chefchaouen on the winding Rif N2, and 4 to 5 hours from Fes. The park is reached west of town off the N16. A hired car is close to essential; confirm road conditions after winter storms.

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