Charrana
Beach – Nador
Let’s take a big
turn now and head from the Southwest of Morocco to the Northeastern part of the
country to the shores of the milder, warmer Mediterranean Sea which gives place
to some of the most beautiful beaches of Morocco such as the outstanding
Charrana Beach which is located at Nador. Being some of the well-known beaches
in the area, Charrana is widely visited by the locals and it’s officially
considered as one of the most beautiful beaches in Morocco. Luckily it still
lacks the Euro –tourism so you won’t get to see many tourists in the area at
all.
Charrana beach
has plenty of lovely, often tiny bays with each one forming a sort of private
beach, surrounded by picturesque rocks which means that this area is just
perfect for diving, scuba diving and enjoying some calm, silent times. The
water is bluer than blue, it’s clear as sky and it offers just the perfect
beach time.
This unique beach
lies on a beautiful peninsula the other side of which lies the big port town
Nador. Thanks to its exceptional location, Charrana is at a totally peaceful
place with no big cities being overly close by. This ensures its clear-as-sky
water and an unbarred peace you feel when you are there. The beach itself also
has a very unique location: divided by a smaller peninsula that creates two
separate bays it just gives endless possibilities for those, who are up for
spending some days in the nature.
To say a few
words about Nador it’s sort of the capital of the Rif region the easternmost
international port city of Morocco and has a very specific natural phenomenon:
salty and sweet water lagoons which make the city one haven for birds. The
whole area was under Spanish control until 1956 when Morocco gained its
independence from the Spanish and the French. Traditionally this region is not
Arabic but Rifi Berber region. Nador still represents lots of Spanish effects
in its atmosphere and in its amenities. Daily ferries go to Spain from the town
and it has a beautifully Mediterranean feel to it. The city is much underrated and has mostly
Spanish tourists in its area, Nador is regularly welcoming Spanish tourists who
come to see Morocco on a daily basis.
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| featuring the amazing turqoise water of Charrana Beach |
Getting there:
Nador is
actually the easternmost city from the Algerian border and as such it has its
own airport which is great for all the families who visit back home from
Europe. This is actually also the best way to go, if you are to travel there
from other parts of the county, as Nador is pretty far from all the rest of the
relevant cities and it’s off the beaten track for tourists too. The only time I
suggest you to try a bus if you are no further than Fez or Tangier so if you
take a bus, you will get there in about 6-7 hours.
Accommodation:
As I said above
Nador, although gifted with a beautiful geographical location and wonderful
beaches such as Charrana, is still very low key when it comes to actual
tourism. Therefore there aren’t too many quality accommodations I can offer there
and earnestly the city doesn’t really have anything on offer for tourists
either. Funnily the close by-lying historical Melilla also doesn’t have quality
accommodation either. Also as the city
is not that very close to the Charrana beach itself I suggest you to literally
pitch tent in Camping Dcharana which is currently the only settlement where one
can sleep nearby. In case the camping won’t cut it for you, you can find a
cheap accommodation in Nador or Melilla but don’t have any high expectations.
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| A real incredible sight |
Other activities and places to see:
Visit Melilla:
As if to
preserve history, the Spanish Melilla is right next to Nador. As a reminder:
that city is like crossing a real border to Spain. Therefore no Moroccans can
go there without an actual visa. But you will be welcomed for sure and the city
is a real historical monument on its own right, a place very worthwhile visiting,
featuring wonderful little ports, historical fortresses, bastions and other
Spanish buildings. People speak Spanish in the city so you will feel as if you
were right there in Spain. Melilla has daily ferry connection with Spain by the
way, so if you feel to hop by, you can freely do it from there.
- The area of
Nador is also frequented by bird watchers and ornithologists as, thanks to its
natural gifts is just the perfect place for a wide range of species.
- If you are in
the Nador area give a visit to Al Hoceima which is alone standing when it comes
to beach tourism. Local buses will take you there within a few hours. (In my next Morocco Nature series I will
feature the Top Ten Beaches of Al Hoceima only, it’s that special a place)
- If you have even
more time, then head eastwards and don’t stop until you get to Saidia, which is
the closest one can imagine a real beach resort town, packed with pretty nice
and new top quality hotels.
- Check out my Pinterest on the Ten Most Beautiful Moroccan beaches for the pics I have there so far. It's continuously growing.
If you guys have any questions please comment and ask me freely. I would be glad to hear from you.
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