Ifrane looks wrong in the best possible way, like a Swiss resort that has been teleported to the Middle Atlas. The French built it in the 1930s as a mountain station for their officials, and the pitched roofs, red tiles, neat lawns and tidy villas still give it an Alpine flavour, quite unlike anywhere else in Morocco. At around 1,650 metres the air is cool even in summer, and in winter the town is regularly under snow, which is why Moroccans sometimes call it the Switzerland of Africa. Ifrane also claims a record cold temperature for the continent, set in the middle of the last century.
Today the town is home to Al Akhawayn University, an English-language institution whose campus of green-roofed buildings lies on its edge, so you will find students at cafés in the centre and a lively atmosphere in term time. A stone lion carved from a single block stands in a park near the lake and has become the town's emblem. Walk around the lake in the early morning, when mist sits on the water and the cedar trees stand dark behind it, and the town feels almost deserted.
The roads in the area are a pleasure on a bike. Leaving Ifrane, the highway runs through magnificent forests of Atlas cedar, some of the largest in the world, with trunks as thick as houses and branches that spread like the arms of a candelabra. The road winds up and down through volcanic hills, passing small lakes and meadows where shepherds graze their flocks. Barbary macaques are common near the roadside, and tourists often stop to feed them, though it is better not to, since the animals can bite. In winter, ice and snow are a hazard, and fog can fall quickly.
Ifrane is a town with all services, and fuel stations are on the roads at the entrance and exit, with Azrou, fourteen kilometres away, another dependable stop. The cafés and pastry shops in the centre are good for hot chocolate and croissants, and mountain-style restaurants serve grilled lamb and tagines. Come between April and October for clear roads, or in winter if you have the equipment for cold, and take a layer for the evenings, which are crisp at this altitude.