One of the major geographic features of Morocco is the Atlas Mountains, which stretch like a spine along the country. These mountains offer a visual contrast with the usual Moroccan desert landscapes, with steep mountains and in the winter, snow-capped peaks. During wet winters, snow can be a problem with road closures at times, so keep this in mind when planning a trip.
The Atlas range offers recreational opportunities like hiking and trekking, mountain climbing, and visits to small Berber villages. A road trip here is an escape from some of the crowded cities along the coast. Many trips into the mountains start in Marrakech, from which you can see the Atlas peaks quite clearly. North Africa’s highest peak, Mount Toubkai, is in this range, measuring 4,167 m high (just below 14,000 feet).
The roads through the Atlas range have been significantly improved in recent years and are of high quality, providing easy driving. It can be quite cold and windy up here, so be prepared.
This area is well known for its fossils, and you’ll often find people selling them alongside the road. There are also “mineral shops” where you can purchase fossils with other types of rocks.
Berber villages dot the landscape and are quite pretty. It seems there’s always another small Berber village just around the bend. I found it interesting that most men I encountered who had been raised in the cities (Casablanca, Marrakech) favored marrying rural Berber women over city girls because they make better wives and “aren’t lazy”.
Around the Berber villages you’ll find irrigated terraced fields and olive groves. At lower elevations, you might see some date palms.
Our journey included a lunch stop at a mountain top restaurant. A tasty goat tagine was on the menu. Underneath that clay cover and vegetables is a base of roasted meat.
There are a variety of ways you can see these mountains – by organized tours (most of them from Morocco), self-driving (car rentals), or taking public transportation. I love seeing mountains and enjoyed a chance to explore the Atlas range.
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