Hidden from view behind two enormous red cliffs east of Port Sidi Hsaïn, and accessible only by a steep rocky path, it’s an idyllic spot, with crystalline waves lapping against the pebble shore and curious rock formations rising from the waves.
There may be a few big hotels around Saidia and Nador (and within Melilla, the autonomous Spanish city that carves out a slice of Iberia in this corner of Africa) but the N16 coast road is only 10 years old, and locals dub this area “Morocco’s forgotten coast”.
Unlike Morocco’s Atlantic coast, with its well-developed tourist enclaves of Essaouira and Agadir, the country’s Mediterranean coastline, between Al Hoceïma and the Nador headland, is a less well known destination.
On a rocky hillside overlooking the village (and river pools) of Amtoudi, the two granaries are connected by a mountain path and were restored in 2007 by eco-architect Salima Naji and a team of skilled local craftspeople.
Extending from the Atlantic coast to the edge of the Sahara and with a huge variety of terrain – from lush oases and valleys peppered with thyme, rosemary, argan trees and date palms to rocky gorges and arid plains – the Anti-Atlas mountains cater for even the most indecisive traveller.
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