2 Best Sights in Azrou, Fez and the Middle Atlas

Southeast of town, Azrou's cedar forest is a source of great pride throughout the country, with Moroccan cedars, some more than 400 years old, that grow to heights of close to 200 feet and cover some 320,000 acres on the slopes of the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas, and the Rif at altitudes between 3,940 and 9,200 feet. Cedar is much coveted by woodworkers, particularly makers of stringed musical instruments. Living among the enormous cedars to the south of Azrou are troops of bold Barbary macaques and birdlife ranging from the redheaded Moroccan woodpecker to owls and eagles. Flora include the large-leaf peony, the scarlet dianthus, and the blue germander, all of which attract butterflies, including the cardinal and the colorful sulfur Cleopatra. You can pick up information and maps of the forest showing trails and hikes at the Ifrane Tourist Office, a 25-minute drive away.

Seeing a Berber nucleus, the French established the Collège Berbère here in an attempt to train an elite Berber opposition to the urban Arab ruling class; both Arabic and Islam were prohibited. After independence, the movement faded. The Berber college became an Arabic school and was renamed the Lycée Tarik Ibn Ziad. It now teaches a progressive curriculum and hosts international exchange students.