Over the past few days, the city of Ifrane has emerged as one of Morocco’s most attractive destinations for visitors arriving to attend the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), as Arab and African fans found themselves facing an “unexpected scene,” in their own words: a snow-covered mountain city with a European-like calm and a distinctive architectural character, nestled in the heart of the Kingdom.
Thousands of visitors—including supporters, journalists, and AFCON followers—made their way to Ifrane after images and videos showing snow blanketing its streets and neighborhoods spread widely across social media platforms, particularly TikTok, where the scenes went viral in a matter of hours.
The surge of interest was not limited to ordinary tourists. It was further fueled by the presence of foreign influencers, especially from Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Egypt, and Côte d’Ivoire, who documented their visits through visual content expressing their amazement, describing Ifrane as an “astonishing discovery” they never expected to find in Morocco.
Several of these influencers said, in published clips and statements, that they had mainly associated Morocco with coastal or desert cities, only to be surprised by the existence of a Moroccan city dubbed the “Little Switzerland,” in terms of organization, cleanliness, architectural style, and snow-covered mountain nature.
The city’s tourism momentum coincided with visits by well-known artistic figures, including singer Samira Said, who chose Ifrane for her New Year holiday. Reports also circulated about the arrival of the Emir of the State of Qatar in the city on Wednesday for a private vacation, further drawing attention to the destination.
Ifrane is among Morocco’s most famous winter destinations for snow lovers and was a favored retreat of the late King Hassan II, who founded Al Akhawayn University there—one of the leading universities in Morocco and beyond. The university’s name, “Al Akhawayn,” refers to King Hassan II and the late Saudi King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, with Saudi Arabia having contributed financially to its establishment.
According to a previous report by Assahifa, the name “Ifrane” derives from an Amazigh word meaning “caves,” in reference to the grottoes scattered across its natural surroundings. The city is among Morocco’s oldest mountain towns and is located at an altitude of nearly 1,600 meters above sea level.
Covering an estimated area of about 3,573 square kilometers, Ifrane is known for its harsh winters, when snow blankets its mountain slopes, contrasted with mild and pleasant weather in spring and summer—making it a year-round tourist destination.
International studies and reports rank Ifrane among the cleanest cities not only nationally but also across the Arab world, a feature that particularly impresses visitors from African and Arab countries, especially first-time visitors.
The city is also renowned for what is often described as its “wealth of calm,” offering visitors a break from the noise of daily life amid cedar forests and pristine lakes largely untouched by dense urban development, alongside a respectable tourism infrastructure of hotels and various accommodations.
Although Ifrane has a regional airport not designated for commercial flights, access remains easy via the city of Fez, which is connected by air to several European and regional capitals, followed by a journey of approximately 65 kilometers to Ifrane.
The trip from Fez to Ifrane usually takes no more than an hour and a half, a journey that itself becomes a tourist experience, thanks to the natural scenery of the Atlas highlands, cedar trees, and the rich biodiversity lining the route.
