The Moroccan Interior

After one has explored the coast of Morocco and the major cities, what remains is the Moroccan interior, a vast area of varied and often spectacular landscape, much of which is barren and inhospitable. Visiting Morocco's interior is seldom a priority for European holidaymakers, except for those in search of particular holiday activities such as hiking, trekking, skiing, bird watching or 4x4 off-road driving.

The High Atlas

Rising to heights of over 13,500 feet, the High Atlas is the largest massif in the Atlas chain and also the highest mountain range in North Africa. The High Atlas is over 500 miles in length, running from the coastal plain inland of Agadir to Morocco's border with Algeria in the east, and effectively divides the east of the region from the west. The High Atlas is popular for hiking and trekking as it provides spectacular scenery and the chance to tackle high altitude walks of varying degrees of difficulty. A popular base for hikers is the Ourika valley, which lies about 50 miles southeast of Marrakech and offers a good selection of small hotels, guesthouses and holiday homes to rent. The road that winds its way up through the Ourika valley peters out at Setti Fatma. This is the starting point for a number of gentle walks which take one to a series of waterfalls a little further up the valley, and also for more arduous hikes to Jbel Toubkal and Jbel Yagour. The area offers ample scope for hikes of three or more days, which usually include an ascent to the summit of Jbel Toubkal, the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains at 13,676 feet. It is usual on longer hikes to stop overnignt in one of the series of mountain huts that have been built to accommodate walkers and climbers. There are a number of companies that offer accompanied hikes in the High Atlas, and this can be an excellent way for less confident hikers to experience the thrill of hiking at high altitude, and provides an opportunity to meet new companions.

Southern Morocco

Agadir, the popular seaside resort, lies at the northern tip of the South and Saharan Provinces. Few European visitors venture beyond Agadir into the south of Morocco; perhaps a sensible decision when one considers that much of the south of the country is a military zone, with large areas which haven't been cleared of landmines, and visitors are subject to frequent checks from the authorities. The main draw for visitors in the safer and more hospitable northern region of south Morocco is birdwatching, particularly in the Sous Massa National Park. This nature reserve was created in the early 1990s with the aim of preserving the bald ibis, a species which was, at the time, threatened with extinction. Located around the delta of the Wadi Massa as it enters the Atlantic, the reserve has a combination of salt water and fresh water habitats which attract a wide variety of migratory birds and a large number of ornithologists.

The Saharan Region

The main attraction of southern Morocco is the Sahara desert, the eastern extremity of which extends into Morocco, in the region south of Tarfaya. The Sahara holds a strange fascination for people - sand dunes which appear boundless and eternal, but are shifting in ever-changing patterns, and the nomadic desert dwellers whose tented encampments and camel caravans disappear and reappear with the changing seasons. Camel trekking is a popular holiday activity in Morocco for those who want to gain a more intimate understanding of desert life and enjoy a holiday with a difference.

The Rif

Travel inland from Morocco's northern, Mediterranean coast and you enter fertile, hilly countryside dotted with olive groves and plantations of fig and almond trees, together with vast swathes of natural forest. This area of Morocco is known as The Rif and it is home to a Berber population who lead a fiercely independent existence. The Rif is certainly worthy of exploration for its scenic beauty, which is in many ways quite like many southern European countries, for the excellent hiking, and for its interesting and well preserved hill towns, where the weekly souks or markets provide an opportunity to see the Berber people at close quarters. An important warning about The Rif is that it is Morocco's main area for the growing of cannabis, known locally as kif, and tourists may be troubled by locals trying to pressure them into buying drugs.