110 Gevaarlijke kusten

It was dangerous sailing down the Moroccan coast. Not only was there the threat of pirates' ships, but also of the local currents and Atlantic storms. There are 17th and 18th century illustrations of ships that run aground on the rocks and sandbanks that litter the coast. While the ship's crew tries to safe their lives in the surf, the local populations has gathered on the shore to take them prisoners. Nowadays one can enjoy a meal of freshly caught fish on the beach of Tifnit while the fishermen are fishing off the rocks that protect the beach from the onslaught of the Atlantic.

On the Atlantic Coast

In the sixties and seventies the Atlantic Coast south of Agadir became very popular with back-packing 'Hippies'. They used the 'Hippy Trail' and came via Marrakesh. Most just visited for a day or a week, but some stayed on attracted by the easy life style of the friendly Amazigh. It was an easy life for the youths from Western countries. There were lovely beaches, sun, cheap food and plenty of blow. However when too many came to stay and their lazy beach life started to interfere with the work of the local fishermen the latter revolted. It came to an altercation in Sidi Ifni during which the fishermen cleared the beach. However the Western beach lovers never really went away. The style changed. Forty years onwards the whole coast is being developed. Everywhere the French are building gated holiday villages for the masses and villas for the rich. However villages like Mirleft and Sidi Ifni still ooze a bit of that old hippy ambiance. One of the great perks of the region still is: eating fresh fish straight from the surf on to the BBQ and then to the plate. Everywhere there are flimsy huts in the sand above the flood-line that provide this delicacy.

Tifnit

To the north of Sidi Rabat right between the mouth of the rivers Souss and Massa is the coastal village of Tifnit. I think that here in 670 AD the Arab conqueror Uqba Ibn Nafi reached the Atlantic Ocean. Here he rode his horse into the waves and cried out in frustration: 'If the sea hadn't stopped me I would have continued to conquer all heathen kingdoms west in the name of God.' He turned his horse instead. It took another century before Moulay Idriss finally got the Amazigh to adopt Islam. Although only a few years after the death of the Prophet Mohammed Arab conquerors had brought Islam as far a Uzbekistan in the east, the Magreb or Wild West wasn't as easily converted. It was only during the reign of the Ummayades that Uqba Ibn Nafi succeeded to cross the north of Africa. He did it by doing something no Arab warrior had done before. To solve the problem of army logistics in a hostile area he founded a city. It was about halfway between Jerusalem and the Atlantic Ocean: Kairouan. No wonder that this particular campaign is steeped in myths and stories. The exact spot where he had his 'Talatta, Talatta' moment has never been established. It was somewhere south of Agadir. Why not Tifnit?

Building in Sidi Rabat

When the long narrow stretch of coastal lands became national park there were people living there. There were several families that had claims to land and there were two villages: not only Sidi Rabat but also Tifnit. Some fishermen have built houses inside the face of the cliffs. The population of the endangered Black Ibis has stabilized thanks to the ban on grazing in the National Park. But a new challenge has emerged: illegal housebuilding. It will be hard to stem the tide and bring to a standstill the growing number of dwellings that infringe on the building rules. The culprit is beach tourism. The locals want to profit too from the development of the Atlantic coast south of Agadir. Maybe new built houses are not allowed, but in Sidi Rabat the original homes were not more than huts. Those huts are now transformed into modern villas. In 2014 when I was here with Bert and friends we stayed in one such villa. It was big and luxuriously appointed. From my bedroom I saw renovation work being carried out on a former fisherman's hut. Coming back almost all the huts are renovated. Sidi Rabat is an amazing place to stay if you don't mind it that the village is out of the way and the lack of touristic amenities.