Oued Laou Valley

The Laou rises in the Talassemtane massif and runs north-east through a valley of terraced hillsides, small villages and oleander-lined riverbed to reach the Mediterranean at the village that shares its name. The road from Chefchaouen crosses a pass and then descends beside the river for about sixty kilometres, which is one of the better drives in northern Morocco - narrow, with switchbacks, dropping from cedar into orchards. The valley is farmed intensively on terraces, with figs, olives and vegetables, and Thursday is the market at Oued Laou village where the valley comes down to trade. At the mouth the village has a wide grey-sand beach, a small fishing harbour and a handful of simple hotels and cafes; it fills with Moroccan holidaymakers in July and August and is quiet the rest of the year. Beaches continue north and south along the coast road.

What you actually see

• A sixty-kilometre valley road - from the Chefchaouen pass down beside the river.
• Terraced farming - figs, olives and vegetables worked on the valley sides.
• The Thursday market - the valley's trading day at Oued Laou village.
• A river-mouth beach - grey sand and a small fishing harbour at the coast.

When to go

May to September for the coast; spring for the valley. A day.

Honest expectations

July and August fill the village with domestic holidaymakers and prices rise. Accommodation is basic. The road is narrow with rockfall after rain. Out of season most of the coastal businesses close.

Nearby

Tetouan is north-west; Chefchaouen is up the valley to the south-west.