Al Hoceima

Al Hoceima lies on the Mediterranean coast, about 150 kilometres west of Nador, at the western end of the bay of the same name. Behind the town rise the deeply rugged ranges of the Rif.¹

In 2024 the municipality of Al Hoceima had 50,225 inhabitants and the province 371,527.² The second-largest municipality in the province is Imzouren with 34,848 inhabitants; Targuist has 14,638.³

The present town was founded in 1925.⁴ In the Spanish period it was called Villa Sanjurjo; after the port opened in 1931 the weekly mail steamer between Ceuta and Melilla called there.⁵

The construction of a port was decided in 1928. From 1929 a mole was built on the north side of the bay; the port was officially opened to trade in 1931 and completed in 1947. The fishing mole was added in 1968 and the fish market the following year. Since the ferry terminal went into operation in July 2003, passenger traffic has been the port's main driver.⁶

Al Hoceima National Park was established in October 2004. It extends along 40 kilometres of coast at the limestone massif of the Bokkoyas, whose rocks drop into the sea as very high cliffs.⁷ Its size is given as 48,000 hectares (19,600 at sea, 28,400 on land) or as 48,460 hectares.⁸

In the 2004 census around 15,000 people lived in the land part of the park, in 36 villages spread across the municipalities of Izemmouren, Aït Kamra, Rouadi, Senada and Bni Boufrah. They live mainly from small cereal fields with almond trees, from livestock grazing and, in addition, from fishing.⁹

On 24 February 2004 an earthquake struck the province. According to the official figures 628 people died, 926 were injured and 2,539 houses collapsed, almost all of them in rural municipalities; in the town of Al Hoceima itself there were no fatalities.¹⁰

At the Al Hoceima station, averaged over the years 1991 to 2020, only 335 millimetres of precipitation fall a year, about half as much as in Tetouan.¹¹ Mean daily maximum temperatures range from 17.4 °C in January to 28.9 °C in August.¹²