Sefrou and Bhalil Day tours

Full day excursion to Bhalil,Sefrou & the slopes of the Middle Atlas Mountains

The village of Bhalil is really not on the beaten track of tourism in northern Morocco.It is a very charming village, with fairly well-kept houses, a seasonal river dividing it and covered with numerous bridges. When you climb up to the top, you will pass through the good parts of the Morocco that is about to disappear, where people work in the streets, making simple handicrafts or preparing crops of different kinds, all in a relaxed tone. The view from the top is beautiful, with a green valley and small hill tops.The cave houses in Bhalil stand next to ordinary "over-ground" houses, and there is no other difference between them than practical ones. Digging into the cave allows good conditions for keeping a home cool in summer and keeping the worst cold out in winter. The facades of the cave houses can therefore be easy to pass by, they do about the same decor work and put up the same walls in front as for the "over-ground" houses.

While the small Berber town of Sefrou, just 30km southeast of Fez, is a picturesque place situated on the edge of the Middle Atlas. It has a small but interesting medina that was designated a Unesco World Heritage site in 2013. As such, the medina walls have been restored and some funduqs (hotels) are being rebuilt. Sefrou once hosted one of Morocco’s largest Jewish communities (as many as 8000 people, according to some accounts), and it was here that Moulay Idriss II lived while overseeing the building of Fez.

Itinerary

We will pick you up from your Hotel or Riad at 9AM. Travel to the small town of Sefrou.

The town is clearly among the best destinations for one-day trips from Fez. It lies more than 900 metres above sea level, and every spring the rivers become so fierce that buildings and agriculture is threatened. The city is cut in two halves by the seasonal river Oued Aggaï, which could have been beautiful were it not that it doubles as trash can for the locals. Over the river small bridges allows people, but no normal car traffic to pass. The city is dominated by white houses, simple in their designs, but often with terraces that are generally uncommon in Morocco. Sefrou's history is dominated by religion. It was a Jewish town before Islam was introduced in the 8th century. There are many festivals in town, celebrating the cherry harvest, the prophet Daniel, the 17th century saint Sidi Lahcen Ben Ahmed or Lalla Rekia and her miraculous spring that cures madness.

Now Sefrou is declared as a UNESCO Non Material Heritage for its Cherry Festival that takes place every June . The architecture is simple but effective, and the walls of the houses are whitewashed, which gives Sefrou a fresher and cleaner feeling than Fez.

After you will travel to the village of Bhalil. The village of Bhalil is easy to pass by, it is not on the main road, and really not on the beaten track of tourism in northern Morocco. But there are two clear reasons why you shouldn't miss out on it. First, it is a very charming village, with fairly well-kept houses, a seasonal river dividing it and covered with numerous bridges. When you climb up to the top, you will pass through the good parts of the Morocco that is about to disappear, where people work in the streets, making simple handicrafts or preparing crops of different kinds, all in a relaxed tone. The view from the top is beautiful, with a green valley and small hill tops. The other reason to come here is the main reason for most: The cave houses.

There aren't too many of them left now, but if you click "Continue" you can step into one of them. The cave houses in Bhalil stand next to ordinary "over-ground" houses, and there is no other difference between them than practical ones. Digging into the cave allows good conditions for keeping a home cool in summer and keeping the worst cold out in winter. Back to Fez by the mid-afternoon.