What is the Atlas cedar forest (Azrou)?

The Atlas cedar forest is one of Morocco's loveliest and most unexpected landscapes — proof that this country is far more than desert and palm groves. Centred on the Middle Atlas plateau around the towns of Azrou and Ifrane, it's a vast woodland of Atlas cedars (a magnificent native conifer), many of them ancient, towering and gnarled, draping cool green shade over the hills. The air is crisp and pine-scented, the elevation keeps it pleasantly cool even in summer, and in winter it can even snow — Ifrane is sometimes called "the Switzerland of Morocco" for its alpine feel and tidy chalet-style architecture.

For most travellers the forest is a double draw: the trees themselves and the wildlife. This is the prime place in Morocco to see wild Barbary macaques, which live among the cedars and are often easily observed, especially at the well-known grove near Azrou. The most famous individual tree was the "Cèdre Gouraud," a giant ancient cedar that became a landmark (the old veteran eventually died, but the grove around it remains the classic visiting point and the monkeys are still there). Walking among these enormous old trees, with monkeys grooming in the branches and shafts of green light through the canopy, is genuinely enchanting.

Beyond the monkeys, the forest is simply a beautiful place to breathe and walk. There are easy strolls and picnic spots, viewpoints over the rolling Middle Atlas, and the chance to see other wildlife and birdlife in a much greener, cooler environment than the rest of your trip. Ifrane town itself is curiously un-Moroccan — clean, green, with a famous stone lion sculpture and a relaxed, almost European feel — and makes a refreshing coffee or lunch stop.

The forest's great practical virtue is its location: it sits squarely on the corridor between Fes and the desert (Erfoud/Merzouga) and on routes toward Marrakech via the Middle Atlas. So rather than a special excursion, I usually fold a cedar-forest and monkey stop into a travel day — it breaks up the drive beautifully, gives everyone (children especially) a memorable hour or two, and offers a complete change of scenery and temperature from the medinas and dunes.

A couple of honest notes: please don't feed the macaques (it harms them and encourages aggression), bring a layer as it's noticeably cooler up here, and be aware that around the popular grove you'll meet a few vendors and locals offering peanuts to feed the monkeys — politely decline. Tell me you'd like a forest-and-monkeys interlude and I'll route your Fes-to-desert day through Azrou and the cedars.