The Rif Mountains are situated irectly at the Mediterranean Coast. This mountainrange is very similar to the mountains in the south of Spain. The most interesting town in the Rif Mountains is the charming Chefchaouen. This town has approximately 50.000 inhabitants and is built up against the mountainslope. All the houses in town are painted in blue and white colours and sometimes even the streets and pavements are painted white. The atmosphere in Chefchaouen is pleasant and relaxed. From town you could simply walk through one of the gates into the Mountains. From the hill above town you have a wonderful view over town and the valley. It’s especially nice to sit here and enjoy this view when the mosques start to chant and call for prayer and the sounds echo through the valley.
The next mountainrange is the Middle Atlas. This mountainrange starts just south of the cities Fes and Meknes. In the Middle Atlas it can get very cold in winter and people do cross-country skiing here! The towns Ifrane and Azrou are famous Middle Atlas towns. In these mountains you will come across ceder-forests, nomads and possibly monkey’s as well. There are hardly any tourists in the Middle Atlas, which is surprising because there is so much to discover, such as lakes, waterfalls and mountains!
Climbing the highest mountains of North Africa, swimming in waterfalls, discovering remote Berber-villages, there are so many possibilities in the Atlas Mountains. Just south of the Middle Atlas is the most famous mountainrange of Morocco, the High Atlas. The highest summit is Jebl Toubkal (4160 m.). Up until April there is snow in the High Atlas Mountains and people go here in winter to ski. The rest of the year trekkings and day-trips can be made into the High Atlas.
On the southside of the High Atlas are the Todra and the Dades Gorges. Up in the gorges themselves walls of red rocks tower 700 feet above you, but in the lower regions it’s possible to walk through the oasis and friendly villages. The kasbah Ait Benhaddou, a Unesco World Heritage Site, can also be found on the southside of the High Atlas and is highly recommended.
South of the High Atlas we find the oldest mountainrange in Morocco, the Anti Atlas. In ancient times this mountainrange was connected to the Appalachian mountains in America. These mountains are also the least visited mountains in Morocco, which is a pity, because especially the area around the village Tafraoute, is one of the most beautiful parts of Morocco.
From the village you can see the higher mountains in the distance, whereas much nearer the hills around are covered with huge red boulders. You might get the impression that a giant has been playing with rocks, putting them randomly on top of each other. Tafraoute is a perfect base to explore the region from. There are possibilities for hiking, cycling and a daytrip to the oasis of Afella-Ighir is also highly recommended.
Two valleys that are definitely worth mentioning are the Ziz Valley and the Draa Valley. Both run from north till south, from the High Atlas toward the desert. The Draa and the Ziz are rivers with a rich history, because in the old days caravans of traders used to travel along them on their way to Tombouctou in Mali. These rivers were followed as long as possible, before finally heading into the Sahara for another 52 hot days on a camel. Because of this rich history countless old villages and kasbah’s can be found in these valleys and also from the atmosphere you can tell that you’re on the way to Mali and Maurtania.
