Al Hoceima, Morocco: Complete Travel Guide
| Country | Morocco |
| Region | Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima |
| Type | City |
| Best months | June, July, August, September |
| Crowd level | Low |
| Budget | Budget |
| Flight (LON) | 3h 00m |
Al Hoceima doesn’t try to impress you, which is exactly why it does. This small Moroccan coastal city in the Rif Mountains sits on a bay so blue it looks doctored, backed by ochre cliffs that drop straight into the Mediterranean, and it operates almost entirely on its own schedule. Tourism hasn’t industrialised this place. There’s no medina polished for Instagram, no organised experience waiting for your credit card. What you get instead is a working Moroccan fishing town that happens to have some of the most pristine coastline in the entire Mediterranean basin.
Being honest about it: Al Hoceima is rough around the edges. The town itself is scrappy, infrastructure is patchy, and the best beaches require effort to reach, either by boat, a decent walk, or hiring someone with a car who knows the dirt tracks through Al Hoceima National Park. That park is the real prize. Its coastline is genuinely protected, genuinely undeveloped, and the water clarity will make you feel like you’ve stumbled into something that shouldn’t still exist in 2024. Diving here is exceptional. Fishing boats go out daily and you can usually arrange a trip with minimal fuss and maximum local goodwill.
The Penon de Alhucemas sits just offshore, a peculiar Spanish island technically still under Spanish sovereignty, visible from the beach like a geographical footnote. You can’t visit it, but it sits there as a strange reminder of the region’s layered colonial history. The Rif Berber culture throughout the surrounding area is distinct and proud, noticeably different from the Arab-influenced culture of cities like Fez or Marrakech. The Wednesday and Sunday markets in surrounding villages are the real thing, not curated for outsiders.
Stay near the central beach, Plage Quemado, for convenience, but push further for the isolated coves along the national park coastline. June and September are ideal: warm enough, empty enough, and the light in the late afternoon on those cliffs is extraordinary. July and August bring Moroccan families on holiday, giving the town genuine life without overwhelming it.
Al Hoceima suits independent travellers comfortable with ambiguity, divers, anyone who genuinely wants an unspoilt Mediterranean coast, and people who find the heavily touristed circuit exhausting.
The thing tourists miss? Hiring a local fishing boat for a full day along the national park coast. It costs almost nothing and shows you everything.
Plan Your Trip
- Hotels: Search accommodation in Al Hoceima on Booking.com
- Tours & Activities: Browse Al Hoceima experiences on GetYourGuide
- Day Trips: Find Al Hoceima tours on Viator