The site, then known as Santa Cruz del Mar Pequeño (“Holy Cross of the Small Sea”), was held by the Spanish from 1476 to 1524, when the Saadians threw them out. In 1860, the Treaty of Tetouan gave it back to them, though they didn’t reoccupy it until 1934, after they (or rather, the French) had “pacified” the interior.
Sidi Ifni’s main attractions are its Spanish feel and Art Deco architecture. The beach, with a marabout tomb at its northern end, is not that great (the beaches at Legzira and Mirhleft are better) and is prone to long sea mists. On Sundays a large souk takes place just east of the abandoned airfield.
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