8 Underrated Natural Sites in Morocco, from Beaches to Mountains

The classic image of Morocco, that of bustling cities with meandering alleys, lively city markets to explore, and gorgeous riads with cosy rooftop lounges where you can drink tea and relax, is generally what people plan their travels around. And for that kind of experience, Morocco’s cities — think Marrakech and Fez — are the right place to start planning your trip.

But Morocco is so much more than its cities. The Sahara Desert is the most obvious example of this, but dig a little deeper and you’ll be astounded by Morocco’s many destinations that revolve around nature. With deserts, mountains, beaches, oases, and more to choose from, there are so many ways to elevate your Morocco trip with the great outdoors.

8 natural sites to visit in Morocco

The Sahara Desert

Like Morocco, the Sahara Desert immediately conjures romantic stereotypes of riding camels over sweeping sand dunes and sleeping under the stars. And the reality of visiting isn’t that far off, which is why the Sahara is such a popular destination for travellers to Morocco.

While the Sahara, the world’s largest hot desert, stretches across the breadth of North Africa, it’s just the fringe of the desert that crosses into eastern and southern Morocco. But even a fraction of the Sahara Desert can be magical to see in person.

Beyond the village of Merzouga lies the most-visited corner of the desert. It’s there that you’ll travel out on camelback to camps set amongst towering dunes and maybe a small patch of palm trees. An afternoon of climbing sand dunes and a night of food and music in this special setting makes for an experience not soon forgotten.

Ouzoud Falls

One natural attraction in Morocco that will quickly dispel any false impressions of what the country is like are the mighty Ouzoud Falls. Found in the green El-Abid Canyon of the Middle Atlas Mountains, this towering waterfall drops 110 metres over several steep steps. The Ouzoud Falls are easily visited as a day trip from Marrakech thanks to regular tours that head there.

Viewpoints across different stages of the waterfall, as well as from the top of the canyon, make it easy to admire this picturesque place. Besides admiring the view, visitors are able to swim in the pools beneath the falls or take a boat ride right up to the falls (if you don’t mind getting wet).

Toubkal

People might not realise it, but Morocco is quite a mountainous country. The Rif Mountains, Middle Atlas Mountains, and High Atlas Mountains each run across large parts of the country. And it’s in the High Atlas Mountains that you’ll find Morocco’s highest peak — Mount Toubkal — and the ultimate hiking challenge in the country.

Standing at a daunting 4,167 metres above sea level, the summit of Toubkal requires two days of trekking to conquer. The trek takes you through a verdant river valley, past Berber villages that sit above the treeline, and up its rocky peak. Not only does the trek bring challenges including the effects of high altitude, but climbers can also be met with freezing, snowy conditions that can require crampons and ice axes if climbing in winter.

Legzira Beach

With its long stretching Atlantic coastline, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Morocco has beaches. But what travellers may not realise is how gorgeous those beaches can be. The city of Agadir is a favourite among British beachgoers, but for the most captivating beach in Morocco, there’s no better candidate than Legzira Beach.

This unassuming blip just up the coast from Sidi Ifni in southern Morocco is worth the journey to see it. Grand arches of rock extend out from the cliffs over Legzira’s sandy beach, allowing you to walk through the cliffs from one patch of beach to the next. Sounds like the ultimate setting for a beach walk, don’t you think?

Todra Gorge and Tinghir Oasis

Morocco is a country of contrasts and nowhere is that more clear than Todra Gorge. Cleaving through the High Atlas Mountains, this series of gorges creates a thing of beauty out of the mountain’s dull orange rock. Todra Gorge can be explored by car or on foot and is at its most dramatic when seen from the bottom beside the trickling Todra River, 300-and-something metres down from the top of the cliffs above.

A short distance away lies a place that feels like the complete opposite of the gorge — the Tinghir Oasis. Fed by the Todra River, this open valley is bursting with greenery and life thanks to its oasis of palm groves, date trees, and traditional agriculture, which you can wander through or admire from one of the local kasbahs.

Oukaimeden

In the Middle East and North Africa, skiing often relies on elaborate indoor skiing centres pumped full of artificial snow. Not in Morocco, however. Skiing is a genuine option here thanks to the snowy slopes at the Oukaïmeden ski resort. Located in the High Atlas Mountains, Oukaïmeden is the main (but not only) ski resort in Morocco thanks to its elevation at roughly 3,000 metres.

The resort has seven ski lifts running on its slopes, and ski runs that cater to all skill levels. If you do plan on skiing at Oukaïmeden, it’s probably best to prepare for varying conditions and the chance that runs are less well-maintained than would be expected at modern Western resorts. But together with the novelty of seeing snow and skiing in Morocco, the experience is sure to make memories.

Ifrane National Park

Forest and woodlands are probably another environment you wouldn’t immediately associate with Morocco. In reality, much of the Middle Atlas Mountains in central Morocco are covered with forest. Ifrane National Park, as well as the nearby Cèdre Gouraud Forest, are great choices if you want to hike among forests of Atlas Cedar trees. While already beautiful, the region takes on a real winter wonderland vibe when winter brings snow to the forest.

The other interesting thing about Ifrane National Park is that its woods are home to the endangered Barbary macaque. Morocco may not be one of Africa’s main wildlife destinations, but that makes opportunities like this to see its animals in their native habitat even more special.

The Agafay Desert

Did you know that the Sahara Desert isn’t even the only desert in Morocco? That’s right, there’s another entirely separate desert in the country and it’s far more accessible for the average traveller, with day trips from Marrakech relatively easy to do.

The Agafay Desert is located not too far outside the city of Marrakech, sitting below the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains. Rather than epic sweeping sand dunes, the Agafay Desert is a pale, barren and rocky place that often gets likened to a lunar landscape.

While it may not be the classic desert setting visitors envision for Morocco, its raw presence and isolation are bound to make an impression and create a suitable setting for camping and activities like quad biking and horseback riding.