Guide of Al Hoceima

Al Hoceima is a coastal city located in the north of Morocco. It lies between the Riff Mountains and the Mediterranean Coast. Al Hoceima is cited among the cleanest and safest Moroccan towns and has been a popular tourist destination for a few decades now. 

A brief history of Al Hoceima

The Spanish initially settled in Al Hoceima in 1925, and they developed the area by building houses, schools and hospitals above the beach. However, the town barely grew and was mainly inhabited by Spanish soldiers and their families under the Spanish occupation. At this time the town was known as Villa Alhucemas, derived from the Arabic word Huzama; then after Morocco gained its independence in 1955 the Moroccan government changed the name to Al Hoceima, a nice re-Arabization of a Spanish word, formerly of Arabic origin! During the late 1950s, Morocco was under a military rule; there was civil unrest in which many people in the region died, the population became very poor.

Subsequently, during the 1960s through to the 1980s large numbers of Moroccans from Al Hoceima were forced to migrate, most people went to the Netherlands, France and Belgium. Eventually, the economy began to recover, and the people of the city decided to paint their houses blue and white to represent the sky and the sea, this tradition has continued today, and in 2007, the mayor declared that all inhabitants should do this to restore the traditional character of the city. Today the economy is based around tourism and fishing, and the population stands at around 90,000.

Things to do in Al Hoceima

Independence brought change to Al Hoceima, but the Spanish influence remains evident in the language and architecture of the city. Strolling around you can navigate yourself by the sea and Place Mohammed VI which has fountains built into the ground that are lit up at night. The 2nd floor of the restaurant overlooks the entire port and is a great place to relax and have a drink outside. El Peñón de Alhucemas, the white island fortress, is situated on a one of the Alhucemas Islands, is visible in the distance. Other than eating and sitting on the beach, you must visit the nearby Al Hoceima National Park, established in 2004; it covers an area of 480 km², including 196 km² of the sea. The planners have carefully introduced rural tourism here, and it is still in its early stages, so it remains a fantastic natural wonder just waiting to be discovered by travellers.

Beaches around Al Hoceima

Al Hoceima has lovely sand and shingle beaches such as Cala Iris, Bades and Torres. Quemado is a vast expanse of sand and probably the most popular in the summer when it can become packed! It gives you a real picture of Morocco at play; pedalos are available to hire in season. Plage Thara Yousse is another beautiful beach, but it lacks the infrastructure of the other beaches and has shingle. Finally, some promenade steps lead to a picturesque swimming beach in a cove framed by rocky cliffs known as Plage Calabonita.