Morocco Part 2 - Morocco South and Essaouira

Tony Allaker
Aug 3, 2022
2 min read

A new Gallery is now available with photos from a fascinating tour of Morocco

Have you ever been to Morocco? It is a fascinating and varied country, with history, culture, and stunning scenery in abundance, together with friendly and welcoming people. I visited the country in 2019, just before COVID-19 struck, on a quite intense two week tour of some of the country highlights. I have now added the second of two galleries with photos from the tour. The Galleries can be found here - Morocco Imperial Cities and the North and here - Morocco South and Essaouira. The second Gallery includes photos from the southern part of the country, including the Middle and High Atlas mountains, the south Atlas region of Erfoud and nearby Rissani, Saharan desert landscapes near Merzouga in the Erg Chebbi region, the Valley of 1000 Kasbahs including Todra Gorge, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ait-Ben-Haddou and the Atlantic coastal town of Essaouira. This Blog explains a little bit about each area with photos and there are many more photos in the Gallery. There is also a Blog about the northern part of the country which can be found here

Atlas Mountains

The Atlas mountain range spans north central Morocco. Made up of Middle Atlas and High Atlas, the terrain varies as the altitude changes, with stunning and varied views.

Mosque in the Middle Atlas landscape

High Atlas landscape

High Atlas landscape

Erfoud and Rissani

Just south of the Atlas range is a stronghold of Amazigh, or Berber, culture. We visited a local mausoleum and a Ksour (fortified village) typical of the area. The traditional buildings in this semi-desert region, made from dried mud and straw, are at risk of being replaced by buildings based on modern materials as the weather slowly erodes them over time.

Prayer at the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, Rissani

Traditional building in the Ksour near Rissani

Gardens at the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, Rissani

Erg Chebbi

Merzouga is a town in the Erg Chebbi region, at the edge of the Sahara desert. The desert landscape is stunning, especially at sunrise and sunset.

Saharan sunset

Sand dune detail in evening light

Camel and dunes, near Merzouga

Valley of 1000 Kasbahs

The Valley of 1000 Kasbahs stretches for many miles along the south of the Atlas mountain range, with thousands of palm trees surrounding each of the many Kasbahs (fortified town or city). It is a beautiful region with beautiful scenery.

Traditional building in Tinerhir

Tinerhir, in the Valley of 1000 Kasbahs

Todra Gorge

Todra Gorge is a popular destination as a base for rock climbing and hiking in the surrounding mountains, and offers stunning views at sunrise.

Sunrise at Todra Gorge

Boy herding goats in the mountains above Todra Gorge

View from a mountain pass above Todra Gorge

Ait-Ben-Haddou

Ait-Ben-Haddou is, understandably, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the 'must see' locations in Morocco. Pictures speak for themselves.

Sunrise panorama, Ait-Ben-Haddou

Sunset view from Ait-Ben-Haddou

Sunrise at Ait-Ben-Haddou

Essaouira

Essaouira is a beautiful port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. It is a popular tourist destination, famous for its narrow streets, walled ramparts and traditional blue fishing boats.