Mirhleft

22 October 2022

The time has come to start heading south and onwards to the Mauritanian border. I could have easily stayed longer in this part of Morocco, hiking every day and getting to know more of its people. It deserves another visit.

Today I travelled by grand taxi to Tiznit and then in another one to Mirhleft. The drivers drove quickly and although they obviously know the roads well, I still feel more comfortable in the bigger buses.

I arrived in Mirhleft and immediately found a café to sit and drink tea in - just to get my bearings and settle down after the taxi rides! This small town feels sleepy and quiet in the spread of buildings along a main road. It's hard to believe that somewhere is the B&B I booked with sea views. As with most places I visit though, you slowly get your bearings and realise there is a lot more than meets the immediate eye. Mirhleft has many streets and a lot of character.

Sally's B&B is built right on the cliff edge overlooking the Atlantic and close to the steps leading down to the main Mirhleft beach. My room has a window looking out to see and the terrace provides great views of the beach. Sally is from East Yorkshire!, in bed recovering from a hip operation and a member of a tight knit expat community who have lived here for many years.

In the afternoon, many Moroccan families were out and about enjoying the beach scene. It comes alive even more in the later evening when football takes over the beach.

I started to explore the area on foot. Sally's B&B appears to be within an enclave of more affluent homes clustered together in a little section of its won. I gleaned from people I spoke to that property developer got hold of the land and promoted the area as the ideal place to build your retirement dream home. The promotion aimed at European expats who had lived globally and would be attracted to the particular climate and financial benefits of this area. Sure enough, a community of European retirees now occupy many of the buildings close to the sea.

There is also a legacy of the hold hippy scene here, with surfing shops and shack-like hostels along the coast. Seemly this was the place to hang out in the 60s as there was alcohol available in the next town, camping allowed on the beach and hash available in endless quantities. This time has passed, but the surfing is still supposed to be good.

As with many coastal settlements, there are many half constructed buildings scattered around and its hard to know if they are occupied.