Tetouan to Al Hoceima — Mediterranean Rif CoastRoad.
Distance
300 km
Duration
2 days
Climb
3,500 m
Tetouan to Al Hoceima — Mediterranean Rif Coast Road.
Two days on the N16 — Africa's great Mediterranean cliff road. From the UNESCO white medina of Tetouan, the road threads east along the wildest stretch of Moroccan coast: 300km of hairpins on raw Rif cliffs plunging straight into the sea. Berber fishing villages, Spanish watchtowers, and almost no traffic. Overnight at the remote port of Jebha. Few tourists, almost no fuel — plan carefully. One of North Africa's best-kept motorcycle secrets.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance300 km
Days2
Total climb3,500 m
DifficultyModerate
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2 days, 2 moods.
A suggested split across 2 days with 10 waypoints to discover along the way.
Tetouan MedinaStart · Start in Tetouan's UNESCO white medina — the Daughter of Granada has the most preserved Andalusian-Moorish architecture in Morocco. Fuel up before heading east on the N16.
Martil BeachScenic Point · First Mediterranean stop — wide sandy beach and fishing port. Quick coffee at a promenade café before the cliff road begins climbing.
Cabo NegroScenic Point · Pine-forested headland with views over Mdiq Bay. Spain's North African coast (Ceuta) visible to the west on clear days. The road climbs above the coast from here.
Oued LaouPhoto Spot · Fishing village at a wide river mouth between sheer red cliffs. Long pebble beach with no development. The N16 turns sharply inland and becomes a true cliff road from here east.
TarghaScenic Point · Remote Berber village hidden in a cleft of the Rif cliffs. Ruined Portuguese watchtower on an offshore sea stack. Tiny harbour. Almost no tourists ever reach here.
JebhaOvernight · Overnight at Jebha — fishing port at the midpoint of the Mediterranean Rif. Basic guesthouses, fresh fish dinner at the harbour, mountains plunging straight to the sea. Top up fuel here — next reliable station is Al Hoceima.
N16 Cliff SectionScenic Point · The wildest stretch of the road. Continuous hairpins on raw mountain cliffs above the Mediterranean. Almost no traffic, no guardrails. Arguably Africa's best coastal twisty road. Ride fully alert.
Torres de AlcaláScenic Point · 16th-century watchtower ruins on a coastal headland — built by Spain to defend against Barbary pirates. Small fishing hamlet below with a single café.
Kala Iris Beach & IsletPhoto Spot · Sheltered turquoise cove with a small offshore islet just metres from shore. One of the prettiest beaches on the Rif coast. Few visitors. Swim in summer.
Al HoceimaEnd · End in Al Hoceima — Spanish-Andalusian heritage town on a clifftop above the Mediterranean. Quemado Beach below the cliffs. Spanish-Moroccan cuisine. Spain (Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera) is visible on the horizon.
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