Moulay Bousselham: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Moulay Bousselham is a fishing village on a cliff between the Atlantic and Merja Zerga, the 'blue lagoon', one of the most important wetlands in North Africa. It has little in the way of sights, and that is its charm: saints' tombs, boats, birds and a long empty beach. This half day is spent on foot and on the water. Go out on the lagoon early, when the light is soft and the birds are feeding.

A short history of Moulay Bousselham

The village is named after Moulay Bousselham, a Sufi holy man who, according to tradition, came from Egypt in the 10th century and was buried on the cliff above the ocean; his white tomb is still a place of pilgrimage. Behind the village lies the Merja Zerga lagoon, which opens to the sea through a narrow inlet and has been a protected site since 1980 because of the tens of thousands of waterbirds that winter there. For most of the year this is a small fishing village, and in summer it fills with Moroccan families.

The ten best sights in Moulay Bousselham

1
Merja Zerga lagoon
Hire a fisherman with a boat at the shore for the flamingos; best early morning
2
Merja Zerga, western shore
The quieter side of the lagoon near the dunes, good for waders at low tide
3
Moulay Bousselham Beach
A long Atlantic beach with big waves; swim only where locals do
4
Tomb of Sidi Bousselham
The white domed tomb of the saint the village is named after, on the hill above the sea
5
Moulay Bousselham village
A small summer resort for Moroccan families; very quiet out of season
6
Lixus
Phoenician and Roman ruins on a hill over the Loukkos river, 45 minutes north
7
Larache medina
A small whitewashed medina around a Spanish-era square
8
Balcón Atlántico
Larache's clifftop promenade over the ocean; sunset walk
9
Castle of the Storks
The old fortress at the edge of the Larache medina
10
Ksar el Kebir
An old market town on the Loukkos; near here the Battle of the Three Kings was fought

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Moulay Bousselham →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Moulay Bousselham:

Free walking tours in Moulay Bousselham

The blue lagoon

Tomb of Sidi Bousselham · Tradition says the saint was a 10th-century holy man from Egypt who settled here. He was nicknamed Bou Selham, 'the man with the cloak', after the hooded selham he wore, and the village took the name.
Tomb of Lalla Mimouna · Beside Sidi Bousselham stand several smaller whitewashed tombs of other saints, among them a woman, Lalla Mimouna. Lalla is the title of respect for a lady, and a town inland bears the same saint's name.
Moulay Bousselham Beach · The lagoon empties into the ocean through a narrow channel at the north end of the beach, and the tide pours through it twice a day. The current there is strong; swimmers keep well away from the mouth.
Moulay Bousselham village · In summer the village fills with Moroccan families from Rabat and Fez, and the cliff road becomes a promenade of grills and ice cream stands. Out of season it is a fishing village again.
Merja Zerga lagoon · The lagoon was listed as a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 1980. Tens of thousands of waterbirds winter here, flamingos among them, and it was one of the last places the slender-billed curlew, now probably extinct, was regularly seen, in the 1990s.
Merja Zerga, western shore · On the dune side the lagoon is shallow and at low tide becomes mudflats, where waders feed in their thousands. Local fishermen gather shellfish here on foot.

Lixus and Spanish Larache

Forty-five minutes north, the Loukkos river meets the sea at Larache. On a hill above the river stand the ruins of Lixus, which ancient writers believed was one of the oldest cities of the west; below, Larache spent two long periods under Spain and still feels half Spanish. This route goes from the ruins into the medina and out to the clifftop promenade. A day trip of about 100 km in all.

Lixus · Pliny placed the Garden of the Hesperides, where Hercules took the golden apples, near Lixus. The real city was Phoenician and then Roman, and lived from salting fish: rows of stone vats for garum, the Roman fish sauce, still line the foot of the hill.
Castle of the Storks · The Spanish held Larache from 1610 to 1689, and again as part of their protectorate from 1911 to 1956. The fortress at the edge of the medina is known as the Castle of the Storks, after the birds that nest on its towers.
Larache medina · The medina's main gate opens onto a round plaza laid out by the Spanish, once called Plaza de España. Inside, the lanes are whitewashed and blue like the towns of Andalusia across the strait.
Larache souk · Larache is a fishing port, and the medina market sells the morning catch, sardines and anchovies above all. In spring the stalls fill with the strawberries of the Loukkos plain, in winter with its oranges.
Balcón Atlántico · The Spanish built this promenade along the cliff in the protectorate years, with its railings and benches facing the ocean. In the evening the whole town walks here.
Larache · The French writer Jean Genet spent his last years between Paris and Larache, and when he died in 1986 he was buried, at his own wish, in the old Spanish cemetery above the sea.

The Battle of the Three Kings

Inland from the coast lies the farm plain of the Loukkos and the Gharb, today Morocco's strawberry country. In 1578 it was the scene of a battle that changed the history of Portugal and was remembered for centuries by Moroccan Jews. This drive crosses the plain to Ksar el Kebir and back through the market towns. About 120 km; go on a Wednesday for the souk at Souk el Arbaa.

Lalla Mimouna · The plain around Lalla Mimouna is covered in strawberry fields and plastic tunnels; the Loukkos region grows most of Morocco's strawberries, much of them for export to Europe. In spring the women picking them are seen in every field.
Ksar el Kebir · On 4 August 1578, near the town, the young King Sebastian of Portugal was killed fighting the Saadian army; the Moroccan sultan Abd al-Malik and his deposed rival also died, hence 'the Battle of the Three Kings'. With no heir, Portugal soon fell to the Spanish crown.
Ksar el Kebir, the Jewish memory · Sebastian's victory would have put the Jews of Morocco under a crusading Catholic king. Moroccan Jewish communities, Ksar el Kebir among them, marked the defeat each year with a special Purim, known as Purim de los Cristianos or Purim Sebastiano.
Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Boughaleb · Moulay Ali Boughaleb, a 12th-century Sufi scholar from Andalusia, is the patron saint of Ksar el Kebir. His shrine in the old town is the centre of a yearly festival, the moussem.
Spanish Church · Ksar el Kebir lay inside the Spanish protectorate zone, close to its southern border with the French zone, and the Spanish built a church here for their garrison and settlers. The border ran just south of town, between here and Souk el Arbaa.
Souk el Arbaa du Gharb · The town's name means 'the Wednesday market of the Gharb': like many Moroccan towns it grew around a weekly rural souk and is named after its day. On Wednesdays farmers still come in from the whole plain.

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Getting to Moulay Bousselham and getting around

Souk el Arbaa Station · The nearest train station, 40 minutes by car; trains on the Rabat-Tangier line
Ksar el Kebir Station · An alternative station to the north, also on the Tangier line
Larache Bus Station · CTM and private buses to Tangier and Rabat; grand taxis to the villages

Cheap eats in Moulay Bousselham

Moulay Bousselham is a fishing village, so lunch means the morning catch: sardines, sole and squid grilled whole on the seafront, with bread and tomato and onion salad. Breakfast is msemen and mint tea in a café on the main street. Prices are far below Rabat, and in winter many places close.

Café Izaguirre · Mint tea and coffee on the main street; about 8-15 dirhams
La Caravela · Ice cream and coffee; about 10-25 dirhams
Lina · Café for breakfast; msemen and coffee about 15-30 dirhams
Lac des Flamants · Pizza and simple plates; about 40-70 dirhams
Al Abrar · Local café; tea about 8-12 dirhams

Museums in Moulay Bousselham

Lixus · Phoenician and Roman ruins over the Loukkos
Castle of the Storks · Old fortress in Larache
Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Boughaleb · Shrine of the patron saint of Ksar el Kebir
Tomb of Sidi Bousselham · The saint of the village, on the hill above the sea

Nature and day trips near Moulay Bousselham

Merja Zerga lagoon · Flamingos, herons and waders by boat; ask at the shore
Merja Zerga, western shore · Mudflats and dunes; low tide is best
Moulay Bousselham Beach · Long empty Atlantic beach
Balcón Atlántico · Ocean cliffs at Larache

Things to do in Moulay Bousselham with kids

Lagoon boat ride · A fisherman's boat to see flamingos up close
Moulay Bousselham Beach · Sand to dig in; watch the waves closely
Balcón Atlántico · Evening walk with ice cream in Larache
Lixus · Climb the hill of Hercules's golden apples

Where to eat in Moulay Bousselham

Restaurant Marja Zarka · Fish and seafood named after the lagoon
Miramar · Fish on the seafront
La Terrasse · Terrace over the beach
Kabano Beach · Beach restaurant at the ocean
Hotel Le Lagon · Hotel restaurant looking over the lagoon

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Frequently asked questions about Moulay Bousselham

What is there to see in Moulay Bousselham?

The top sights in Moulay Bousselham are Merja Zerga lagoon, Merja Zerga, western shore and Moulay Bousselham Beach. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Moulay Bousselham?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Moulay Bousselham without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Moulay Bousselham?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Moulay Bousselham, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The blue lagoon.

How do you get to Moulay Bousselham and get around?

The main ways are Souk el Arbaa Station, Ksar el Kebir Station and Larache Bus Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Moulay Bousselham, and for how much?

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