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The Rif stretches 300 km across northern Morocco, from the Atlantic coast to the Algerian border. This guide covers the key towns, the best hiking routes, how to get around and when to go — whether you are basing yourself in Chefchaouen or travelling across the whole range.
Amelia Hart· Itineraries & Trip Planning Editor
British writer who has built and road-tested Morocco itineraries for everyone from honeymooners to families. She covers multi-day routes, costs, the best time to visit and how to plan a first trip. Casablanca · 9+ years covering Morocco
Published 30 March 2026 Last updated 11 April 2026
Most people who visit the Rif Mountains see one town: Chefchaouen. They spend two days in the blue medina, admire the views from the Spanish mosque and leave. That is a fine trip, but the Rif is a much larger and more varied place than one photogenic hill town can suggest. The range runs in a broad arc from Tetouan in the west to Al Hoceima and the Mediterranean coast in the east, enclosing dense cedar and fir forest, Berber farming villages, high ridgelines above 2,000 m and a rugged coastline that Moroccan families crowd to in summer.
Beyond Chefchaouen, the towns are genuine rather than tourist-ready: Ouezzane holds a busy Thursday market that sells everything from handmade djellabas to live chickens; Bab Berred is the closest thing to a trailhead village the western Rif has; and Al Hoceima, overlooked by most itineraries, combines a Spanish-colonial old quarter with excellent beaches and the quietest seafood restaurants in the country. The Ketama plateau sits in the middle of it all, at 1,500 m, wrapped in cedar forest and carrying a reputation that most travellers treat as more obstacle than opportunity.
This guide is built for travellers who want to go deeper — to hike the ridgelines, eat without a tourist menu in front of them, and understand how the pieces of the Rif fit together geographically and culturally.
The Rif has one internationally famous town and four that most foreign travellers never reach — each worth understanding before you plan your route.
The famous blue-washed medina is the natural base for the western Rif. Accommodation ranges from backpacker hostels to polished boutique riads. The surrounding hillsides — including Jebel El Kelaa — are accessible on half-day walks directly from town.
Arrive early morning or evening to photograph the medina before day-trippers from Tangier arrive.
Often bypassed, Ouezzane sits at the southwestern foot of the Rif and has a busy weekly souk every Thursday. The old medina is compact and genuinely uncommercialised — a strong contrast with Chefchaouen.
Stop here en route between Fes and Chefchaouen to break the journey and eat at a local restaurant without tourist pricing.
A small agricultural village north of Chefchaouen on the road toward Tetouan. It acts as the jumping-off point for treks into the cedar forest on the northern slopes of Jebel Tissouka (2,122 m) — a rewarding but rarely crowded trail.
There is no formal tourist infrastructure here; arrange a local guide through your Chefchaouen riad before you leave.
Surrounded by cedar and fir forest in the heart of the central Rif, Ketama sits at the highest point of the RN2 highway. The scenery is genuinely spectacular — rolling green ridges with few tourists. It is a transit town with limited accommodation.
Keep moving through Ketama or stop only briefly; the town has a reputation for persistent hash sellers approaching travellers on the roadside.
The largest city on the Mediterranean coast of the Rif. It has fine beaches, a Spanish-colonial flavour in the old quarter and access to the Al Hoceima National Park — a protected marine area with cliffs, coves and sea caves. The airport (HOD) handles seasonal flights from Spain.
Al Hoceima is best in June and September, when the sea is warm but crowds are lighter than July–August.
The Rif offers some of the most accessible mountain trekking in Morocco — and some of the least crowded. Trails range from casual forest walks to a proper all-day summit push.
| Route | Base | Duration | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jebel El Kelaa Circuit | Chefchaouen | Half day (4–5 hrs) | Moderate | Climbs the ridge directly above town for panoramic views of the medina and surrounding valley. No guide required — the path is marked. |
| Tissouka Summit (2,122 m) | Bab Berred | Full day (7–8 hrs) | Challenging | Ascent through cedar forest to the highest accessible peak in the western Rif. A guide from Chefchaouen is strongly recommended; the trailhead is a 30-minute drive from town. |
| Ain Tissimane Forest Walk | Chefchaouen | 3–4 hrs | Easy–Moderate | Follows a forested valley east of Chefchaouen past a natural spring popular with local families on weekends. Good for families with older children. |
| Talassemtane National Park | Chefchaouen (40 km) | Full day | Moderate | Protected fir and cedar forest with marked trails to viewpoints above the gorges. The park entrance is near Bab Taza; hire a guide for the longer ridge routes. |
Indicative guide fees: half-day 250–400 MAD, full day 400–600 MAD. Prices should be agreed before departure.
The Rif’s cedar forests see a fraction of the foot traffic that the High Atlas does — and the trails are better for it.
Public transport covers the main towns; a rental car or private driver opens up everything else.
The backbone of Rif transport. Grands taxis (shared long-distance taxis) connect Chefchaouen to Tetouan, Ouezzane and Bab Berred frequently throughout the day. CTM buses link Chefchaouen to Fes (4–5 hrs, indicative 80–110 MAD), Tangier (2.5 hrs, 60–85 MAD) and Al Hoceima via Tetouan. Book CTM online or at the station; grands taxis depart when full from the taxi rank.
The most flexible option for village-hopping and reaching trailheads. Tetouan and Chefchaouen both have car hire agencies. The RN2 (Chefchaouen–Al Hoceima) is fully paved but has long sections of tight mountain switchbacks; a small hatchback or SUV handles it fine. Budget indicatively 350–550 MAD/day for a basic manual car excluding fuel.
For travellers who want to combine walking and sightseeing without navigating public transport, a private driver or guided day tour from Chefchaouen is the easiest option. A driver-guide lets you stop at roadside viewpoints, reach trailheads on unmarked tracks and push into villages where a taxi would not go. Day rates run indicatively 600–900 MAD for a private driver.
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Budget/day (indicative)
400–800 MAD
Safety
Good — avoid stopping on RN2 near Ketama
The Rif Mountains are generally safe for travellers in 2026. Chefchaouen and the western Rif see heavy tourist traffic and have a reliable tourist police presence. The main caution applies to the central Rif around Ketama, where roadside hash vendors can be persistent and occasionally aggressive. The practical advice is simple: don’t stop on the RN2 roadside between Ketama and Taounate, don’t accept rides or 'tea’ from strangers on that stretch, and drive through without lingering. The Mediterranean coast around Al Hoceima is relaxed and safe.
April to June and September to October are the sweet spots. Spring brings wildflowers, flowing streams and lush green ridges at their peak — the hiking is at its finest. Autumn is quieter and the light is excellent for photography. Summer (July–August) is hot and busy around Al Hoceima’s beaches; Chefchaouen gets very crowded. Winter brings genuine cold and occasional snow above 1,000 m — the scenery is beautiful but high treks become difficult.
CTM buses and grands taxis cover the main routes. From Chefchaouen, grands taxis run to Tetouan (about 45 minutes, indicative 35–50 MAD per seat), Ouezzane (roughly 1 hour, 40–55 MAD) and Bab Berred (around 30 minutes, 20–30 MAD). For Al Hoceima you’ll need a bus change in Tetouan; the full journey takes 4–5 hours by CTM. Renting a car in Tetouan or Chefchaouen gives you much more flexibility — the mountain roads are paved and signposted, though the switchbacks on the north slopes require confident driving.
Yes, and they are far less crowded than trails in the High Atlas. The best-known route is the Jebel El Kelaa circuit above Chefchaouen — walkable without a guide in half a day. The Tissouka summit (2,122 m) via Bab Berred is the most rewarding full-day objective in the western Rif, with cedar forest most of the way up. Talassemtane National Park, 40 km east of Chefchaouen, has protected fir woodland and marked trails. Trailhead signage is improving but patchy — carry a downloaded offline map (Maps.me or Wikiloc) and hire a local guide for anything above 1,500 m.
Several villages make rewarding half-day or full-day excursions. Ain Tissimane, a short drive east, is popular for its forest and natural spring. Bab Berred (30 minutes north) is the gateway to Tissouka and has a small weekly market. Oued Laou, on the Mediterranean coast (about 1 hour northeast), is a beach village where the Laou river meets the sea — worth a stop for fresh fish at the harbour shacks, from around 60–80 MAD for a plate. Tetouan (45 minutes) is technically a city but its UNESCO-listed medina feels distinct from Chefchaouen’s tourist circuit.
For the Jebel El Kelaa half-day loop above Chefchaouen, no — the paths are clear and the town is always in view. For anything deeper into the range — Tissouka, Talassemtane ridgeline routes or multi-day traverses — a licensed local guide is strongly recommended. Trails are not consistently marked, GPS coverage in the deep valleys can be patchy, and weather changes fast above 1,500 m. A half-day guide from Chefchaouen costs indicatively 250–400 MAD; a full-day guide 400–600 MAD. Ask at your riad for recommendations.
Ketama is worth seeing from the road if you are driving the RN2 across the Rif — the cedar-forested ridges at 1,500 m are genuinely beautiful and feel unlike anywhere else in Morocco. As a destination to stop and stay, it is very limited: accommodation is basic, there are no formal tourist sights, and vendors on the roadside can be a nuisance. Most travellers do better to admire the scenery from a moving vehicle and spend their nights in Chefchaouen or Al Hoceima rather than Ketama itself.
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