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Ouezzane: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Ouezzane was founded around a zaouia, a Sufi lodge, set up in the early 18th century by Moulay Abdallah Cherif. His descendants, the sherifs of Ouezzane, became one of the most powerful religious families in Morocco, and the town was a sanctuary where even the sultan's men moved carefully. This short walk climbs from the centre through the lanes of the old town to the shrines on the hill. About an hour and a half; it is steep in places and the lanes are not signposted.

Ouezzane

A short history of Ouezzane

Ouezzane grew up at the start of the 18th century around the zawiya of Moulay Abdallah Sherif, who in 1727 founded a Sufi order whose influence spread across North Africa. The sharifs of Ouezzane were regarded as descendants of the Prophet, and for generations the town enjoyed special status and exemption from the sultan's authority. The town has a strong Jewish connection: in the nearby village of Asjen lies Rabbi Amram ben Diwan, an emissary from Hebron who died in 1782, and thousands of Jews, many of them from Israel, visit his grave on Lag BaOmer. The old town, with its green-tiled roofs, has remained small and quiet.

The ten best sights in Ouezzane

  1. 1
    Zaouia of Moulay Abdallah Cherif

    The holy house the town grew around; non-Muslims see it from outside

  2. 2
    Shrine of Moulay Tayeb

    One of the tombs of the sherifs on the hill of the old town

  3. 3
    Asjen and the tomb of Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan

    Jewish pilgrimage site 10 km north; busiest on Lag BaOmer

  4. 4
    The Mellah

    The old Jewish lane below the zaouia

  5. Chefchaouen Kasbah
    5
    Chefchaouen Kasbah

    Fort and small museum in the blue town, an hour north-east

  6. 6
    The Magana clock

    The clock monument in the centre; the place to ask for directions

  7. 7
    Jardin Lalla Amina

    The town park for an evening walk

  8. 8
    Oued El Makhazine reservoir

    Big lake in the hills 25 minutes north-west

  9. Al Wahda Dam
    9
    Al Wahda Dam

    Morocco's largest dam, about an hour east

  10. Chefchaouen
    10
    Chefchaouen

    The blue mountain town; a full-day trip, go early before the crowds

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How we choose

What is an audio walk?

Tours in Ouezzane →

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 Ouezzane:

The city of the sherifs

Free walking tours in Ouezzane

The city of the sherifs

Ouezzane was founded around a zaouia, a Sufi lodge, set up in the early 18th century by Moulay Abdallah Cherif. His descendants, the sherifs of Ouezzane, became one of the most powerful religious families in Morocco, and the town was a sanctuary where even the sultan's men moved carefully. This short walk climbs from the centre through the lanes of the old town to the shrines on the hill. About an hour and a half; it is steep in places and the lanes are not signposted.

  1. The Magana clock · Magana is the Moroccan word for a clock, from the Spanish máquina. The clock monument marks the centre of the modern town, at the foot of the old one.
  2. Central market · Ouezzane is known across Morocco for its wool: the djellaba ouazzania, a hooded robe woven from fine local wool, is sold under that name in markets far from here.
  3. The Mellah · Ouezzane had a Jewish community that lived close to the zaouia, and the sherifs were known for protecting it. The town's place in Jewish life comes mostly from the rabbi buried at Asjen, just to the north.
  4. Zaouia of Moulay Abdallah Cherif · The order founded here, the Wazzaniyya, spread across North Africa. Its head was so respected that sultans came to Ouezzane for his blessing, and the town's octagonal green minaret is its landmark.
  5. Shrine of Moulay Tayeb · In 1873 an English governess, Emily Keene, married the Grand Sherif of Ouezzane, Si Abdeslam, and lived in Morocco for the rest of her long life. Her memoir, My Life Story, describes the household of the sherifs.
  6. Jardin Lalla Amina · The park on the east side of town looks back at the old town spread over the slope of Jebel Bouhlal, the mountain the town leans on.

Rabbi Amram's hill

For Moroccan Jews, Ouezzane means one name: Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan, buried at the village of Asjen, ten kilometres north. Every year on Lag BaOmer thousands of pilgrims, many from Israel, come to light candles at his tomb. This short drive combines the pilgrimage site with the quiet farmland and the lake beyond it. Half a day; the road to Asjen is narrow, and on the hiloula days it is closed to normal traffic and full of buses.

  1. The Mellah · Pilgrims to Asjen used to stay with Jewish families in the town, and the hiloula brought trade to the whole market. Today almost no Jews live in Ouezzane, but the pilgrimage still fills its hotels.
  2. Asjen and the tomb of Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan · Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan came to Morocco in the 18th century as an emissary from the Land of Israel, collecting for its communities, and settled in Ouezzane. Stories of cures at his grave made it one of the great Jewish pilgrimages of Morocco.
  3. Asjen olive groves · The hills around Asjen are covered in olive trees, and the Ouezzane area is known for its olive oil. Pilgrims traditionally bring a bottle home.
  4. Oued El Makhazine reservoir · The reservoir holds back the Loukkos above Ksar El Kebir and supplies the irrigated plain toward Larache. Its name is the river of the Battle of the Three Kings of 1578.
  5. The Magana clock · Back in town, the centre around the clock is where the grand taxis, the cafés and the evening crowd all meet.
  6. Snail market · Bowls of babbouche, snails in a broth of thyme, aniseed and pepper, are the evening snack of northern Moroccan towns.

To the blue town

An hour north-east of Ouezzane the road climbs into the Rif to Chefchaouen, the blue-washed town that is now one of the most photographed places in Morocco. It was founded as a fortress against the Portuguese and stayed closed to most outsiders for centuries. A day trip by car, about 60 km each way on a winding mountain road. Park at the edge of the medina and walk; the lanes are steep and the town is busiest at midday.

  1. Bab Taza · The mountain village on the way is the gateway to the Talassemtane National Park, the cedar and fir forests of the western Rif.
  2. Chefchaouen · The town was founded in 1471 by Moulay Ali ibn Rashid as a base against the Portuguese on the coast. Refugees from Andalusia, Muslims and Jews, settled here after the fall of Granada.
  3. Chefchaouen Kasbah · The red-walled kasbah on the main square holds a small ethnographic museum and a garden; from its tower you see the whole blue medina below.
  4. Jebel el-Kelaa · The town sits under two peaks, and its name is usually explained from the Berber for horns — the shape the mountains make above the medina. Jebel el-Kelaa, about 1,600 metres, is the one behind the town.
  5. Ras el Ma, Chefchaouen · The spring at the top of town is why it was built here: it supplied the houses, the mills and the public washing basins, which women still use.
  6. Ecomuseum of Talassemtane · The small museum at the edge of town explains the national park beyond — its forests, its endemic Moroccan fir and its Barbary macaques.
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Getting to Ouezzane and getting around

  • Ouezzane bus station · In the centre next to the old town; buses to Fès, Tangier and Chefchaouen
  • Grand taxi square · Shared taxis to Ksar El Kebir and the villages; they leave when full
  • Ksar El Kebir Station · Nearest railway, about 45 minutes west

Cheap eats in Ouezzane

Ouezzane is a market town of olive country, and food is simple: olive oil and bread for breakfast, harira soup, tagines and grilled kefta. The local fig and olive harvests fill the market in late summer and autumn. In the evening the snail stalls in the centre are the busiest eating spot in town. Expect prices well below those of Chefchaouen up the road.

  • Snail market · A bowl of babbouche, about 5-10 dirhams
  • Café Carrion · Mint tea in the centre, about 7-10 dirhams
  • Restaurant chez Khalid · Grilled meat and tagine, about 40-60 dirhams
  • Café les Voyageurs · Breakfast by the bus station, about 15-25 dirhams
  • Zaitouna · Café with snacks, about 10-25 dirhams

Holy places in Ouezzane

  • Asjen and the tomb of Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan · Jewish pilgrimage site; on hiloula days access is organised
  • Zaouia of Moulay Abdallah Cherif · Seen from outside; the green minaret is the landmark
  • Shrine of Moulay Tayeb · Tomb of a sherif on the old-town hill
  • Shrine of Moulay Thami · Another of the sherifs' tombs, beside Moulay Tayeb
  • The Mellah · The old Jewish lane below the zaouia

Nature and day trips near Ouezzane

  • Oued El Makhazine reservoir · Lake among olive hills; picnic by the water
  • Al Wahda Dam · The largest dam in Morocco
  • Ras el Ma, Chefchaouen · Cold mountain spring at the top of the blue town
  • Jebel Kerboue viewpoint · Rif summit viewpoint over the hills to the sea
  • Bab Taza · Mountain village and gateway to the Talassemtane forests

Things to do in Ouezzane with kids

  • Jardin Lalla Amina · Space to run in the evening
  • Ras el Ma, Chefchaouen · Paddle in the cold stream above the washing pools
  • Chefchaouen Kasbah · Climb the tower, then the garden
  • Oued El Makhazine reservoir · Stones to throw and space to picnic

Where to eat in Ouezzane

  • Café Restaurant L'Arbre · Grills and tagines under the tree on the east side
  • Restaurant Lmadani · Simple Moroccan dinner
  • Restaurant chez Khalid · Kefta and tagine in the centre
  • Wazane · Restaurant on the north side of town
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Frequently asked questions about Ouezzane

What is there to see in Ouezzane?

The top sights in Ouezzane are Zaouia of Moulay Abdallah Cherif, Shrine of Moulay Tayeb and Asjen and the tomb of Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Ouezzane?

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

Is there a free walking tour in Ouezzane?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Ouezzane, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The city of the sherifs.

How do you get to Ouezzane and get around?

The main ways are Ouezzane bus station, Grand taxi square and Ksar El Kebir Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Ouezzane, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Ouezzane that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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