Morocco is, in many ways, a country apart. It nestles on the north-western tip of Africa, separated from the rest of the continent by the towering Atlas Mountains and by the Sahara itself. Its climate, geography, and history are closely related to the Mediterranean than to the rest of Africa. For this reason, visitors are often struck by the odd sensation of having not quite reached Africa in Morocco. Its fine beaches, lush highland valleys, and evocative old cities reinforce this impression in the north. Yet, as one moves south and east, into and over the Atlases’ starkly beautiful ranges, Morocco’s Mediterranean character melts away like a mirage. The Sahara stretches out to the horizon, and forbidding kasbahs stare.

Morocco is situated on the extreme north-western corner of Africa and is bordered by Mauritania and Algeria, both to the south and east. Morocco’s varied geography includes no less than four separate mountain ranges, in addition to lush river valleys, beautiful sandy coasts, and wide expanses of desert. The three most prominent mountain ranges, which run parallel to each other from the southwest to the northeast, are the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas, and the Anti-Atlas. The ascent of the country’s highest peak, Jebel Toukbal (13,665 ft/4,165m), is a spectacular and not particularly difficult High Atlas trek.

The Moroccan coastline, which fronts onto both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, offers plenty of great beaches and fascinating old coastal cities. In the southeast, Morocco’s mountain ranges yield inexorably to the desolate expanse of the Sahara. The rivers that flow down this side of the High Atlas support long, narrow, and lush river valleys that resemble linear oases.