Azrou

Azrou lies in a valley in the Atlas mountains with around 50,000 inhabitants. There's not too much to see, but it's a pleasant town with quite some options for accommodation. In the center of town is a large square with a new mosque in the center of it and the bus station and cafes and restaurants surrounding it. As the town is inside of the Ifrane National Park it can be used as a base for hiking and trekking in the park. The office of the national park is in the center of town and you can pick up a map of the park here.

Azrou is serviced by buses and shared taxis. There are hourly buses to Fez and Meknes, these take 1½ to 2 hours and the cheapest are 20 dirham. There are also buses towards Beni Mellal and Marrakech, to the southwest. Transport further into the Middle Atlas is harder to find.

There are some walking routes a few kilometers outside of town. A good place to start is Moudmane junction, where a group of barbary macaques, who are used to human contact. It is best to get a taxi to reach these.

There are some cheap eateries around the central square.

• Hôtel Beau-Séjour, Place Moulay Hachem ben Salah. Cheap basic place, rooms have balconies looking out on the square. No breakfast. 70 dirham for a single room. (updated May 2016)
• Gîte Foreste Tagroumt, 15 minutes from Azrou but really close to the Ifrane National Park for trekking routes (5 minutes). 230 dirham for a double, breakfast included.

• Fez
• Meknes
• Zaouiate Oued Ifrane