Oued Laou

Oued Laou
Oued Laou Location in Morocco
Coordinates: 35°27′N 5°5′W / 35.45°N 5.083°W / 35.45; -5.083
Country	Morocco
Region	Tanger-Tétouan
Population (2004)
- Total	8,383
Time zone	WET (UTC+0)
- Summer (DST)	WEST (UTC+1)

Oued Laou (Arabic: واد لاو‎, Trans.: Wād Lāw) is a small town located in northern Morocco at the Mediterranean coast. The two main cities nearby are Tetouan at northwest and Chefchaouen at southwest. In 2004 the town had 8,383 inhabitants (census figure).^[1] You can take in Tetuan a grand taxi (located at the Bab Eloqlaباب العقلة ) to Oued Lau and that will cost you about 15 dirhams. On the very moment (2010) the government is constructing an autoroute along the coast and the route to Oued Laou is part of it. Oued Lau is one of the beaches of the Mediterranean's most peaceful near Tetouan. Lovers of fresh fish and angling absolutely must make a detour through this region with many strengths. The town is named after the river of the same name which takes its source up in the Rif Mountains near Chefchaouen.

The northern beaches are renowned for their beauty. The village of Oued Lau is no exception. This village located 45 km from Tetouan has a view over the sea of the same name. To get there, you just have to take the road to Chefchaouen and enjoy passing scenery of cascading Akchour. For swimming or sunbathing, the inhabitants of Tetouan are obliged to leave the city and go to either Mdiq to Martil or later at Oued Lau.

Those who prefer the beaches and sparsely populated wilderness that combine quality and bathing water opt for the latter destination. "The beach is quiet, I love going there during the summer," says this native of Tetuan lover of angling. The main economic activity in this region is fishing. Walking on the sand of this beach, vacationers, and especially the early birds often encounter wooden boats built by hand by the local population. Every morning, fishermen cast their nets to catch their links all the fish ragione. The best known and most popular are the red porgy, anchovies and sardines. No need to order lunch from other kinds of meat.

The popular restaurants are located at the seaside or the interior of the village market. These restaurants offer tagines to pandora and anchovies prepared the way North. Namely with a mixture of garlic, parsley, thyme, paprika and lemon juice. This tagine is cooked and presented in an oval ceramic dish called Tagra. Another variant of delicious dishes: a plate of grilled sardines and accompanied by a salad of tomatoes and onions. For only 15 dirham, so you can order grilled sardines and salad is the most frequently offered. Every Tuesday, local products are more exposed in a large plaza market Oued Lau. Unable to resist the design of ceramics and other ceramics which are made entirely by the village women. Other products such as cotton fabric striped in different colors called in local parlance, "Mendil".

As Morocco is, the distinction between the haves and the have-nots are unbearable. The have-nots dwell around and are hassling the tourists "Are you speaking French, Mister?!" If you react, you become the prisoner of false tales with the ultimate purpose..your money. The haves rent their houses for increasing prices during summer time, especially since King Mohamed VI summonned that the North of Morocco had to develop to a tourist area. The activities on that level are in work in Oued Lau. All along the coast you see nowadays big hotels a la Spain and it will not take a long time before the whole Moroccan atmosphere has transformed in the nowadays modern unitity culture. anyway, if you visit the café's where the locals resident, you must accustom yourself quickly to the smell of kif; grown ups are forgetting their problems in smoking their kifpipes. As long there is no trade, police will not do anything. Different is this at the beach. Every night the beaches are guarded by armed policemen. The season does not last long (june-september) and after that Oued Leou is a dead place.

External links

• Pictures of a journey from Oued Laou to Chefchaouen

References and notes

1. ^ world-gazetteer.com

Coordinates: 35°27′N 5°5′W / 35.45°N 5.083°W / 35.45; -5.083