A coastline divided between two seas
With a double seafront, the Moroccan coastline is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean for 2,900 km and by the Mediterranean Sea for 500 km, with the Strait of Gibraltar as the meeting point between these two seas. On the Mediterranean side, one is immediately struck by the striking contrast of the arid mountains of the Rif which tumble down towards the ocean, offering a coastline punctuated by creeks, and sometimes longer beaches, with turquoise waters. The wilder Atlantic coast is characterized by its sandstone cliffs shaped by the sea spray and separated by large white sand beaches. There are many caves and crevices dug out naturally over time, of which the famous Caves of Hercules are a fine example. The coast of Western Sahara also reveals some natural curiosities, such as the beach of Leghzira in Mirleft, which still has an arch formed in the ochre cliff. We can also mention the region of Dakhla, which offers surprising landscapes, sometimes lunar, like the famous white dune, which stands alone facing the Atlantic. From the top of this mound, the meeting of the desert and the ocean can be seen on this virgin space, which everyone tries to conquer by means of their natural forces.
Green plains and valleys
From Gharb in the north to Souss, near Agadir, Morocco has the largest fertile plains in Africa, of which there are two types. On the one hand, those of the coast, with the plains of Gharb, between Larache and Kenitra; of Zaër, between Rabat and Rommani; of Chaouia, in the region of Casablanca and of Souss, around Agadir. On the other hand, the inland plains that benefit from the natural climatic barriers of the Atlas and the Rif, protecting the crops from the sea winds. There are three of these: the Tadla, nestled between the High and Middle Atlas in the province of Beni Mellal, the Saïss, which extends over more than 2,200 km between Meknes and Fez, and the Haouz located at an altitude of more than 600 m in the vicinity of Marrakech. On these irrigated lands, vines, olive trees, orange trees and cereals are cultivated. As for the valleys, the South is full of magnificent places with steep reliefs criss-crossed by wadis and punctuated by green palm groves. Among other valleys, we can mention: Ounila and its contrasting landscapes, between Marrakech and Ouarzazate, the Dades valley and its surprising rock formations, near Boulmane du Dades, the Todra valley and its impressive gorges, near Tinghir and the Draa valley and its numerous oases, at the gates of the desert.
A landscape in relief
From the Rif in the north and its highest point at Jebel Tidighine (2,488 m) to the Middle Atlas in the interior of the country, continuing into the High and Anti-Atlas, bounded in the south by the Wadi Drâa, Morocco is surrounded by high and low mountains over most of its territory, with 100,000 m² of relief exceeding 2,000 m in altitude. The Atlas, separated into three mountain ranges stretching from north to south, is the country's main mountain range, forming a real natural border between the Atlantic plains and the Sahara desert. Stretching over more than 1,000 km of Moroccan territory, it culminates ten times above 4,000 m and reaches its highest peak at Jebel Toubkal, at 4,167 m. An intermediate massif between the High and Anti-Atlas, Jebel Sirwa is an ancient volcano that rises to 3,305 m, offering magnificent steep landscapes. From the top of its 2,712 m, let's also mention Jebel Sarhro, further east in the High Atlas, which fascinates by its arid reliefs worthy of the greatest westerns! Further south, in the Western Sahara, the relief is not very marked and the altitude in this vast rocky desert is usually less than 200 m.
The High Atlas, an imposing massif
Extending from the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas stretches from the lake of Bin el-Ouidane, on the turquoise wadi in the west, to Midelt, higher in the east, over 700 km. It presents a succession of valleys and passes, dominated by the ridges set with eternal snow, which shelter magnificent ksour, these fortified villages with often difficult access. This is probably the wildest part of Morocco, with the exception of the Saharan desert. One discovers there, in the bend of a wadi, many terraced crops as well as mountain pastures where the Berbers lead their herds of goats and sheep. Dominant point of the High Atlas, the Djebel Toubkal is also the highest peak in North Africa (4,167 m), planted with lemon trees, junipers and cypresses, only a few kilometres from Marrakech. To the east of this imperial city lies the M'Goun mountain range, which rises to 4,000 m and features deep combs and narrow gorges. Then, even further south, as well as in the east, the mountains give way in altitude: it is the Jebel Sarhro then the Jebel Bani that announce the desert regions of the Hamada of Drâa.
The Middle Atlas and the Anti-Atlas, two surprising mountains
Shortly after the Rif, in the north of the country, rises the Middle Atlas Mountains which dominate at 3,350 m at the Bou-Naceur djebel. It is 350 km long, covering an area of 2.3 million hectares, between cedar and oak forests, volcanic plateaus and turquoise lakes. This succession of scenery and rugged relief makes this one of the most pleasant regions in Morocco. To the west, the Middle Atlas is mainly formed of limestone rocks that rise to between 1,000 and 1,500 m, while to the northeast there are folded rocks that rise to almost 3,000 m. To the east, the cirque of Jaffar offers lush vegetation, dotted with numerous small waterfalls, but remains one of the most difficult places to access in Morocco. As for the eastern slope, it presents a lunar volcanic landscape, from the Rekkam plateaus to Midelt. Further south, the Anti-Atlas stretches over nearly 600 km, between the central High Atlas and the regions of Souss and Tafilalet. Its arid and desert chain begins shortly after the fossilised Sirwa volcano, which overhangs the massif and forms an arc of a circle as far as the Atlantic coast, towards the mouth of the Drâa wadi. Divided in two by the river Drâa, this old mountain range, formed about 300,000 million years ago, is made up of multiple varieties of rock, such as pink granite, mica schist or amphibolite. Its arid landscapes herald the desert.
The Sahara, between sand dunes and rocks
Occupying most of northern Africa, the Sahara stretches 5,200 km from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east, and 1,500 km from the northern Mediterranean to the southern Sahel. The world's largest desert thus covers a total area of nearly 9 million km², of which 266,779 km² is in the Western Sahara. This once fertile desert is expanding daily, mainly southwards. Contrary to what one might think, water is present in the subsoil in many places, the problem being the capture of this life-saving manna, often very deep. It also contains the world's largest deposits of phosphates, with more than 50 billion tonnes, discovered in Western Sahara, particularly around the town of Bu-Craa, located more than 100 km south-east of Laayoune. Further south and east, the desert continues with the regs, these vast expanses of gravel and small pebbles swept by the winds, and the hamadas, these arid areas composed of rocks and stones eroded by the Saharan winds, before being extended by the ergs, these successions of golden dunes shaped by the winds, from Zagora to Merzouga, which are the delight of tourists. The landscape is however very quickly monotonous, and this repetition is broken only at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.
A dense hydrographic network
Morocco's extensive hydrographic network is oriented towards the Atlantic, with the exception of the Moulouya river, which flows into the Mediterranean from the Midelt province. All these wadis descend from young mountains that form a long ridge of highlands flanked on either side by plains and plateaus. Morocco's longest river? The Drâa, which flows 1,100 km from the High Atlas Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. Crossing rocky desert landscapes, it is mostly dry, but occasionally bursts its banks during exceptional floods. The Seguia el-Hamra, also in the south, is similarly dry for much of the year. As for the Sebou basin, which forms a bowl between the Rif in the north and the Middle Atlas in the south, it contains almost a third of the country's surface water, with the main wadi running some 500 km before ending its course in the ocean. Also worth mentioning are the Loukkos, whose mouth at Larache is one of the most beautiful in Morocco; the Bou Regreg, which separates the cities of Rabat and Salé; the Souss, which flows south of Agadir; the 650 km-long Oum-er-Rebia; the Tensift, which crosses the Haouz plain before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Safi; and the Moulouya, the longest of the Mediterranean rivers (450 km). Numerous rivers and lakes provide ideal refreshment for travellers, notably the Iffer and Afourgah lakes in the forests of the Middle Atlas, little known to tourists. In the Ifrane Nature Park, perched at an altitude of 1,460 m, the Daït Aoua lake is the most popular in the area, surrounded by poplar, willow, cedar and oak forests. Thrill-seekers won't want to miss Morocco's beautiful waterfalls: those at Ouzoud, the second highest in Africa, as well as Imouzzer, near Agadir, Setti Fatma, in the Ourika valley, the Jaffar cirque or the Kandar massif, south of Fès and Sefrou.
