Northern Morocco Cycle Tour
This is an overview of a week long cycling tour around Northern Morocco, that was ridden in May 2025. It was a short loop ride that started and finished in Tangier, and visited the towns of Asilah, Chefchaouen and Tetouan.
More detailed information about the rides can be found in Part 1 and Part 2.
This was a predominantly road ride through the far northern tip of Morocco. I was quite limited for time, as I only had nine days free between running Cycle Fiesta's Historic Andalucia guided tour in the south of Spain. So this short loop seemed like a nice introduction to the North of Morocco and the Rif Mountains.
Route Overview
On the map below you can see the overall route that I took on this tour. I describe this in more depth on the route review pages, starting with the section from Tangier to Chefchaouen.To summarize, I began by driving to the town of Tarifa in southern Spain, where I unloaded my bike and took the ferry across to Tangier. I then followed an anti-clockwise route around Morocco's most northerly peninsula, spending nights in Asilah, Jajouka and Chefchaouen.
I spent a couple of nights exploring Chefchaouen and then continued through the Rif mountains to Tetouan, before returning to the coast at Tangier.
The weather was pleasant throughout the trip, with mostly clear skies and mild temperatures, (between 20°C and 25°C). My main aims from the tour were both to explore the interesting towns and to get a glimpse into Moroccan culture, both urban and rural. I was also looking forward to tackling some of the climbs in the Rif Mountains.
The view from the Kasbah in Chefchaouen
Logistics
Since I took the ferry from Spain to Morocco, there was no need to dismantle my bike, and so travelling to the start was very easy. It was straight forward to ride my bike onto the ferry at both the beginning and the end. For cyclists I highly recommend this crossing between Tarifa and Tanger Ville, rather than the much busier crossings between Algeciras and Tanger Med (or Ceuta).My bike for this trip was a steel framed Kona Sutra (2017). I have made a few minor changes to the bike. Firstly I replaced the cable disc brakes for hydraulic TRP Hylex, then I also put on a set of Fulcrum wheels. Otherwise, it is pretty much original spec. The bike is heavy (around 16kg / 35lb), but is extremely comfortable. I carried one large Vaude waterproof pannier and one lightweight Altura pannier, which had more than enough space to carry clothes, hiking shoes, basic repairs and food on the rides.
The Kona Sutra for this tour
The route I had planned was mostly on paved roads, with just a few gravel sections. I rode Schwalbe Almotion tubeless tyres which were comfortable and worked without any issues..
Overall, the set up worked perfectly and I would go with something similar if I did this tour again. The Kona Sutra is such a comfortable bike that I like to ride it whenever possible, even when I have other lighter and fancier options available!
Alternative Routes
I had considered flying into Fes and cycling a one way route to Tangier, but I decided that it was just a lot simpler to take the ferry and do a circular ride. I was also interested to visit Asilah and the mountains between the coast and Chefchaouen.Similarly, I considered finishing in Ceuta instead of Tangier. I chose Tangier because my experience arriving with the ferry was very good, and I have read that sometimes it can be very slow crossing the border in Ceuta.
The section I enjoyed least on this route was between Chraka (the P4603) and Tatoft (on the R410). As you can see from the route map, I didn't label many points of interest here apart from in the charming town of Asilah.
The riding was still mostly pleasant here and it was a nice and quiet way to get across from Asilah to Chefchaouen. But the scenery wasn't spectacular and the villages didn't really have much to see. It was still interesting to get a glimpse into the rural way of life in Northern Morocco.
Overall Thoughts
From a cultural point of view, it was a fascinating trip. The towns were all very interesting, with both lively medinas and less touristy areas, giving a rounded perspective of life in Morocco. The food was delicious, people were friendly and the scenery ranged from pretty average at times, to really spectacular in the Rif Mountains.One pleasant surprise was how respectful the drivers were towards cyclists. Cars and trucks alike usually waited patiently to pass and left plenty of space. This was the case even in Tangier and Tetouan - the two biggest cities that I visited.
It was also notable how populated the entire region was. On the map, villages seem quite sparse at times, but it was rare to go more than a couple of kilometres without seeing someone riding a donkey, looking after sheep or just going about their life. I had read some reports about children (and some adults) bothering cyclists in Morocco, but I didn't experience this at all. In fact, I don't even recall being chased by a dog all trip! It was very relaxing and peaceful in that regard.
I would be keen to explore more of the Talassemtane National Park
Overall, my experience on this trip was positive. I will certainly come back to this region, as well exploring further south in Morocco.
Check out the links below for much more details about the rides that I did...
Part 1 - Tangier to Chefchaouen
Part 2 - Chefchaouen & Tetouan
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