If you are an intricate traveler and like to discover something unusual for yourself, and Morocco for you is still in some way terra incognita, then it is definitely worth planning a trip to these places at the first opportunity. It is easy to become an explorer here - the land with its pristine, untouched nature gives a lot of opportunities. First of all, you can check your strength by visiting the Atlas Mountains in Morocco . It is a real kingdom for lovers of hiking and forest walks.
General information
It is enough to open a familiarization course on the geography of Africa, to understand where the Atlas Mountains are, they are the Atlas Mountains. This huge mountain system, striking in its size and height, stretches from the Atlantic coast of Morocco to the shores of Tunisia. Atlas mountains separate the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts from the arid sands of the Sahara desert. The name of this mountain system originates in the myths about the Atlantean titan (Atlas), which kept the firmament on its hands.
The Atlas Mountains in Morocco consist of such ridges as the High Atlas, the Middle Atlas and the Anti-Atlas, as well as the inner plateaus and plains. The height of the summits of the Atlas mountains often reaches 4 thousand meters above sea level, and the highest point is the Jebel Tubkal mountain (4165 m). It is located 60 km from Marrakesh and is one of its main natural attractions . In winter, there is a thriving skiing , because the peak is covered evenly by a layer of snow.
High Atlas
This is the largest array of Atlas mountains. With firm certainty it can be said that it got its name for good - after all, here is the largest concentration of the largest peaks in Africa. The range stretches from the plains of the Atlantic to the border with Algeria, its total length is 800 km, and the width in some places is about 100 km. The average height of the mountains in the High Atlas is 3-4 thousand meters above sea level. Between the peaks lie the stone plains and precipitous gorges.
What is surprising, in such a remote region inhabited by the Berber tribes. They are the custodians of the local traditional culture. Their way of life is based on blood ties and cohesion. On the mountain slopes they plow the land and keep the fields on which they grow cereals, corn, potatoes and turnips, and graze goats and sheep.
This place is very popular in terms of tourism. Territorially in the mountains of the High Atlas there is the national park Tubkal, along which there are several tourist routes of different levels of complexity. The average duration of expeditions is 3-4 days. Of the places that deserve special attention, we can distinguish the following: the Ait-Bugemez valley, the natural bridge of Imi-n-Ifri, the valley and the Mgun gorge, the Uzud waterfall, the gorges of the Todra and Dades rivers. However, if for any reason you can not fully travel through the mountains, but you really want to get acquainted with the Atlas mountains, then you can settle in a small village of Imali. This will be an excellent starting point for many scenic spots, while such outings will not take longer than a day, and you can always have a good night's rest and rest in comfort.
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Middle Atlas
This part of the huge mountain range will appeal to lovers of forest walks. The tops of the mountains here are covered with dense thickets of cedar trees, and the massif is cut by bottomless gorges. In length this part of the Atlas mountains reaches 350 km, and the height of the peaks is not much inferior to the High Atlas.
Experienced travelers speak about this corner, as a small European state. The nature here is amazing and wonderful, and small towns and do differ some kind of picturesqueness. Such landscapes in Africa are amazing, and one can not even believe that the largest desert on Earth is located nearby.
In the tourist plan, three places are very popular here: cedar groves Azra, high-altitude station Imuzzer-du-Kandar and the town of Ifran . In pedestrian walks through the forests of the Middle Atlas, small flocks of macaques can be found. They are quite peaceful here, but it's still worth some caution. This ski resort in the winter becomes something like the Swiss, in any case, they are not inferior to anything. Also in the local mountain lakes there are a lot of fish, which is sure to be enjoyed by lovers of fishing.
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Anti-Atlas
This mountain range borders directly on the Sahara, so the terrain here is practically uninhabited. However, on the border with the High Atlas, in the interior regions of Agadir , is the Ida-Utanan area, which is also called the Paradise Valley. In its center is the village of Imuzzir, where the Berber tribes live. It is hardly for the whole world this place is famous for its fragrant thyme, honey, cactus and lavender.
It is here that Argania grows, from the fruits of which the healing oil is then extracted. A few kilometers from the settlement you can find an amazing palm grove with waterfalls, which in winter do not ham the ice. And if you happen to visit here, you should definitely try a local delicacy from the Moroccan cuisine - pasta from a mixture of honey, grated almonds and argan oil. At the foot of the mountain range is also Tafraut - the main city among the Berber tribes and the "almond" capital of Morocco .
In general, Anti-Atlas is a rather interesting mountain system. And, first of all, the asymmetrical ridges of the mountains, which alternate with the plateau, and the variety of relief forms, are amazing. And although the landscape around is replete with scorched pink granite, sometimes there are picturesque islands of oases, which greatly enlivens the picture of the surrounding nature.
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