Azrou

A bowl of green hills and pine woods encircles Azrou up in the Middle Atlas. Just south of Ifrane and close to the unlikely Michlifen Ski Station, the pint-sized market town offers a taste of more bucolic Morocco, away from the frenetic medinas of Fez and Marrakesh. It sits at 1,250 meters above sea level, with the sweeping emerald woods of the Cèdre Gouraud Forest spreading out to the east. The upshot is that hikers and explorers will find plenty to love as they wander between the tall cedars and oaks to spy out Barbary macaques and flowering alpine meadows. An Azrou tour guide can also reveal other natural wonders, like the Ifrane National Park. It's a little to the north, carved through by crashing waterfalls and dotted with wetlands where wolves are known to roam. Back in the centre of Azrou, and you can hop between Parisian cafes and Moroccan riad teahouses, wander stucco-walled streets and duck under carved Berber arches, all while gazing at the outline of the rugged Rock of Azrou, a gnarled peak on the horizon.