Al Hoceima
Location: Morocco (Mediterranean coast)
Type of village: Cases
Date of opening: 1962
Year of closing: 2002
A little history: In 1960, the future King Hassan II contacted Gilbert Trigano. The future king wanted Club Méditerranée to establish itself in Morocco.
It will be in Al Hoceima on the Mediterranean coast. The proposed location has all amenities nearby. The only problem is that the nearest airport is 300 kilometers away. No matter, there's a solution for everything, according to Hassan II.
The official opening of the village took place in 1963, but it was in 1962 that the first GMs were able to discover the village.
Al Hoceima extends into a Mediterranean forest (the Sfiha forest) that borders the beautiful Souani beach and its 4 kilometers of brown sand.
The occupied area covers 80 hectares, which in terms of surface area made Al Hoceima the largest of the Club's villages for many years.
It has 560 unlit huts, distributed between the swimming pool and the tennis courts.
Facing the village, a short distance offshore, the Peñón de Alhucemas watches over it like a lookout. This fort houses a Franco-era prison. It is a Spanish territory, just like Ceuta and Melilla on the continent.
In the village, the sports program is quite comprehensive. On the seaside, it's a great spot for sailing thanks to good wind conditions. Water skiing is also available, but the water is less than perfect and more limited.
As an aside, sailing and water skiing are popular with the prisoners and guards of the Spanish fort.
In the forest, at the edge of the estate, a horse-riding ranch was built. In 1963, Al Hoceima was the first village in the Club to include horse riding as part of its activities.
A few years later, the ranch was home to nearly 80 horses.
Still in the forest, a tennis club with 27 exclusively clay tennis courts makes Al Hoceima one of the most important tennis villages of the Club.
The village closed at the end of the 2002 season. On February 24, 2004, a major earthquake struck the region. Fortunately, the club's former village was not damaged. Only a few cracks in the ground were noted.
Village Chiefs:
Pierre LEVRARD opened the village in 1962 and participated in 1963, still as village chief, in the official inauguration with the Moroccan Minister of Tourism and Gilbert TRIGANO.
Vincent BENASSY handed over the keys at the end of summer 2002
The journey:
Earlier in the article, I mentioned the airport. In order to allow Club Méditerranée to confirm its establishment and development in Al Hociema, the future King Hassan II promised Gilbert Trigano the construction of an airport.
As early as 1963, the Club's Caravelles landed just a few kilometers from the village. It was an "airport for the Club," as many Tridents from the 1960s mentioned. It was transformed into a military airport once the season was over.
The bus between the airport and the village is escorted by the ranch's horses.
Videos
Club Med Al Hoceima
The DinausauresClub – Gérard Pigeon DECOSTERD
Once upon a time there was the Club Méditerranée in Al Hoceima. A former GO recounts his memories of Al Hoceima.
Al Hoceima 1964, extract from a report available in full version on the INA website
Al Hoceima 1978, a must-see collector's video
AL HOCEIMA was my village experienced as a punishment in the summer of 1972... The Treasurer was Garry (I don't know what happened to him), I was his assistant treasurer, while I was supposed to become Treasurer that season. But Serge Trigano put a spanner in the works for me, to the point that the head of the bursar in Paris, François Hubert (now deceased), passing by, asked me to understand what had happened in Assinie (where I had opened with Henri Jaouen (now deceased) and Gilbert Picard at the bursar) so that Serge Trigano "took a dislike to me in the same way"..) Irène Clemer who had recruited me (now deceased) had just told me that I was too young (21 years old) and that it would be for later.. It was in 1973 (the Manial in Cairo) where I was the youngest bursar of the club that season, according to Paris! So much so that this season at AL HOCEIMA I have forgotten the names or even the faces of all the GO'S dependent on the Bursar! But I brought back some striking memories of those 6 months: with a nice and attentive village chief, a muscular, strong man, Claude Besson (now deceased) who is also the father of the filmmaker, Luc Besson, who was a kid (a teenager of 12/13 years old) he had spent his summer with Us in Al HOCEIMA. With a very nice animator too, Jean Viviani (now deceased). In my memories of this large village of huts, the presence at the toilets, several mornings in a row... it was just the two of us brushing our teeth... me and "Kiki Caron", then a big star of French swimming, who was invited by the Mediterranean club at the same time as Jacques Secrétin, French table tennis champion! And then I always think of AL HOCEIMA when I hear Michel Fugain singing the hit of the moment that we heard in the village "on the holiday highway", it was undoubtedly a lucky day... a beautiful story 1972!! Yes, memories of Morocco where we, the executives of the "stock exchange", had the chance and the possibility of participating in collective meetings in Agadir, Marrakech... Yes, memories, memories!!
Hello
Present at Club Med in 1972 or 73 with Claude Besson
Barman at the night club
Jean Sébastien Laussac
Known as Germain Pilon
I was also in Al Hoceima that summer, under the direction of Claude Besson. I belonged to the theater troupe that Serge Trigano himself had wanted, according to what I was told, and I depended on the Animation directed by Jean Viviani (very nice).
I remember Kiki Caron too, a guest of the Club... and her competition in the pool in a speed race against Gianni, the lifeguard, not at all keen to take on this challenge (more of a macho type) but so pushed by the GM and GO that he really had no choice! Guess who won... hands down. Secrétin, another guest of the Club, performed there in an exhibition against Vincent Purkhardt, another table tennis champion.
In short, good memories, atmosphere of the film "Les Bronzés" exactly that!
Funny that I stumbled upon this in... 2024. 18 years old, 1989. Flashback. 15 days of incredible summer in Al Hoceima. What memories. The shows were really funny, bicentennial theme 1789-1989. Still stars in my eyes.
Yes, I was there too, but I looked after the Viviani children, and was often with Luc Besson who was a little bored. There were no young people there. My first club.
Yes, I was there too, but I looked after the Viviani children, and was often with Luc Besson who was a little bored. There were no children. My first club.
Hello,
I am from Al Houciama and I am writing a book about the history of tourism, using the Club Med and the Quémado -Mohamed V complex as examples. I would be grateful if you could help me with (photos, notable events, etc.)