- Address: El Hajeb Province, Morocco
- Phone: +212 677-254381
- Area: 500 square meters. km. Elevation above sea level: 1650 m
In the northern part of Morocco , among the middle Atlas mountains, is a small province - Ifran. Despite the size, in this area you can see simply amazingly diverse landscapes: dry rocky hills with rare vegetation are replaced by mighty cedar forests, and desert landscapes smoothly pass into snow-capped foothills. In the heart of the province is a small town bearing the same name - Ifran, around which is the extensive national park Ifrane National Park.
Striking contrast between the desert and monotonous landscapes of the lowlands and the landscape of the Atlas Mountains is striking, which is often compared with the Swiss slopes. This similarity is especially evident in the winter, when the mountains are covered by a snow blanket. Or in the spring, when the stormy streams of thawed water begin to fall from the tops, forming waterfalls, rivers and lakes "wake up", and sheep flocks scatter over the fresh grass of the slopes.
Reserve
The national park of Ifran is located at an altitude of about 1650 meters above sea level. The protected area extends over 500 km² and covers spills of several rivers, picturesque lakes and the largest in the country cedar forest - one of the most protected in the world. The very word "ifrane" in translation from the Berber dialect means "caves", and there are indeed many of them in the local mountains. The zone became protected only in 2004, the main purpose of the park was the protection and restoration of rare endangered species of flora and fauna of Morocco .
Due to the abundance of rivers and lakes in this area, Ifran is considered the main reserve source of water in the country. Due to the fact that there is never a lack of it here, a huge number of birds nest on the territory of the park, many animals and reptiles are found. The Iftan vegetation of the park is not at all like the traditional North African flora: maple and poplar groves grow here, and there are a lot of clean and cool lakes rich in fish. In the town of Ito, in the direction of Azra, you can admire and completely "alien" scenery: the vents of hundreds of extinct volcanoes are surprisingly similar to the surface of the moon.
The climate in the province also differs significantly from the rest of Morocco : here it varies in European way from season to season - hot summer, rainy autumn and abundant snowy winter. Thanks to the latter, not far from the park there is even a small ski resort Michlifen, a place for rest not only for Moroccans, but also for numerous foreign tourists.
Ifran Cedar Forest
Of course, the centuries-old cedar groves themselves are of great value - not only because of expensive and rare wood, but also thanks to cedar oil and even needles, which are actively used in medicine.
However, in the National Park of Ifran there is also a real treasure - almost a thousand-year-old giant cedar, a symbol of the former power of Morocco. The ancient giant even received his own name - he is nicknamed the Guro cedar, in honor of the victorious general of the French army, Henri Guro, who served in the African colonies in the late nineteenth century. During the First World War, the general fought at the head of the Moroccan colonial troops and was awarded many prizes. The name of the general is also the forest in which the famous cedar grows.
Gouraud forest became a haven for the endangered species of Berber macaques - majoth. This is one of the few places of their dwelling in the whole world. In addition to them, otters, deer, predatory "big cats" and huge populations of birds live in the forest. An interesting sight is the picturesque Lake Afennurir, which is stretched in the middle of old cedars.
How to get to Ifran National Park?
From the imperial city of Fez, the province of Ifran is only seventy kilometers away or an hour and a half away. Not far to go there and from Meknes or Henifra. The reserved zone begins ten kilometers from the city, there is a direct motorway, so you can get there in less than half an hour. For a trip, you can rent a car in Ifran or take a taxi, in addition, the National Park follows a lot of sightseeing routes, including from other cities.
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