"Photos from the Rif!" by Nadia Rassech
Recently, we had a three day weekend – happy labor day! I’ve been wanting to visit the Rif Mountains, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so – especially considering the long journey from Rabat. We visited both Al Hoceima and Nador – truly some of my favorite cities in Morocco. To show you just a sliver of the beauty of the Rif, here are a few photos from my trip up north!
There’s a few different routes to get up north – none of them very easy, all of them quite long. One option is to fly – there’s direct flights between Rabat and Nador, and between Casablanca and Al Hoceima. Occasionally cheaper flights are available, but this is generally a more expensive option (though shortest!). There’s also the option of taking a CTM bus from Rabat to Nador or Al Hoceima, or a train from Rabat to Nador (though there are multiple transfers and it takes over 10 hours). Photo credit: Rassech, 2026.
On the way to Al Hoceima, we decided to take the high speed train (Al Boraq) from Rabat to Tangier (about 1 hour). From there, we caught a petite taxi to the Gare Routiere, where the main grand taxi station is. In the summer, there’s more movement in and out of Tangier. Since we were traveling before peak season, the station was quite empty – meaning we did wait about 3 hours before our taxi filled up (6 people) and we could depart. The drive was about 5 hours, but we stopped for lunch in between. Photo credit: Rassech, 2026.
The drive from Tangier to Al Hoceima was without a doubt entirely worth the wait and price. It was easily one of the most stunning drives of my life! The landscape changed every few miles it seemed, from rolling green hills, to rocky mountains, to blooming meadows, to deep red and orange dirt cliffs. We drove directly alongside the coast for most of it, and the views were waaa3ra! Photo credit: Rassech, 2026.
We’d decided to go this route because it’s the route my host family typically takes, since my host dad is from Al Hoceima! It is pricier than taking the CTM bus, but the views were worth it. Al Boraq Rabat to Tangier: about 200MAD. + Petite taxi from train station to Gare Routiere: 25MAD + Grand Taxi Tangier to Al Hoceima: 250MAD. Photo credit: Rassech, 2026.
This view was taken from the vantage point in the main city square. We walked around here, the city center and market area, then tried some delicious corn on the cob and watermelon. Thankfully the city is very walkable, and we’d walked from our rented apartment close to the corniche. I’d recommend walking by the corniche, then heading towards Tala Youssef Beach and eventually Plage Taoussarte! Photo credit: Rassech, 2026.
Al Hoceima, being located in the Rif Mountains, is an Amazigh city, with residents speaking Tarifit (Rifian dialect of Amazigh). The amazigh language has very noticeable influence on Darija (like the strong presence of certain consonants, the use of sukuun in Darija that often replaces the short vowels of MSA, etc). It was interesting to pick up on some of these influences / overlaps after hearing Tarifit all weekend, and having a few taxi-ride-length introductory lessons to the language. Photo credit: Rassech, 2026.
Al Hoceima was quite calm when we visited, but everyone we spoke to said it gets incredibly crowded during the summer. It's a popular vacation destination for Moroccans living in other parts of the country, as well as Moroccans living abroad, particularly in Europe, who return to the city during its peak season. Al Hoceima and the Rif region at large have strong migratory networks across Europe, especially Belgium and the Netherlands. Amazigh, particularly Tarifit, is spoken by large shares of the Moroccan diaspora, with waves of Rifian migration starting in the 1960s. Photo credit: Rassech, 2026.
On our last day, we went back to the Gare Routiere and caught a grand taxi to Nador for 70MAD each person. Thankfully, we barely waited at all this time! The ride was about an hour and a half to two hours, and also quite stunning! We then had the whole day to explore Nador, since our bus wasn’t till 10pm. Photo credit: Rassech, 2026.
While Al Hoceima is known for being a more touristy destination, Nador is known for its trade. It’s located close to the Spanish city Melilla, and is the largest city in the northern province (and provincial capital). There was much more movement than Al Hoceima, and the city itself is expansive – not quite as walkable as Hoceima, in comparison. Since it's also a university city, there were plenty of cute student cafes to sit in! Photo credit: Rassech, 2026.
For our return to Rabat, we took the overnight CTM bus. We departed at 10pm, and arrived around 5am. In terms of convenience and comfort, the return was a much easier journey! The bus made plenty of stops, but I personally slept the whole way through (then made it in time for class in the morning). Ticket: 200MAD. Photo credit: Rassech, 2026.
Nadia Rassech is a student studying abroad in the Spring 2026 on Amideast’s Area & Arabic Language Studies program in Rabat, Morocco.
