On the way, we called at Aglou Plage, a small, very new beach resort in the middle of nowhere, where we picnicked for lunch. Small it may have been, but it sported a military guard post that can be seen on the right of our group, complete with keenly alert sentry feigning a soporific pose in his chair. He did have a use, though, in commandeering the key to the beach toilets for us to use. These were squat toilets, for the use of which we were invited to leave a 1 dirham tip (8p). But leave it where? Ah yes, lob it into the floor hole, Three Coins In The fountain style, whilst making a wish invoking the protection of the anti-dysentery angel.
This is the smart new prom at Aglou plage, clearly designed by an architect with railway experience.
And now 50 miles along a lovely coast road to quirky time-capsule, Sidi Ifni.
It’s totally blue-and-white art deco architecture, having been built between 1934 and the rest of the decade by Spain, who occupied the town as Spanish territory between 1934 and 1969 when Morocco blockaded the land borders and the Spanish evacuated. Here’s another example below, the lighthouse. The town is built on a headland commanding beautiful views of the sea.
Many of the buildings are in a state of decay as the photo beneath shows, which would have been a magnificent structure in its day. It’s a shame that this town, unique because all of the architecture is of the same design and period, is simply falling to bits. It is currently just retrievable but will soon go beyond the point of no return, and this is the likely scenario because there is no huge tourist potential to tempt the necessary investment this far south.
We returned via Tiznit, another walled town, but dusk was falling and we had another 2 hours to the campsite, so we didn’t stop. A 250 mile long day out, but well worth it
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