The giant of the Trekking in Morocco scene, there’s little wonder that Toubkal and the Atlas Mountains are the country’s top hiking location.

Home to a majority Amazigh (Berber) population, life in the Atlas Mountains seems to have stood still. This is rural Morocco at its most evocative. Children run freely through valleys. Farmers, both men and women, tend to their plots of land. Donkeys or mules provide a mode of transport for both young and old. Stony pathways wind through the mountains to villages not visible from main roads.

Standing atop of it all is the mighty Jebel (Mount) Toubkal which, at 4,167m, is North Africa’s highest peak.

The Atlas (from which the Atlantic Ocean was named) is actually three ranges in one; the Middle Atlas in the country’s north, the High Atlas in central Morocco and the Anti-Atlas in the south. Each is drastically different and provides varied trekking options – even the colourful carpets produced by the many tribes are as diverse as the landscapes.

Agriculturally rich, the trees (apple, cherry, apricot, and even almond and walnut trees) begin to bloom in February throughout the Atlas, creating a riot of colours and smells. The region is popular year-round with locals, but the summer months see many Moroccans escape the heat of nearby Marrakech by heading to the mountains of Toubkal National Park.

By far the most popular trekking location in the Atlas is Toubkal National Park, an hour’s drive from Marrakech. People flock here to climb Jebel Toubkal, but there are many more trekking routes available across the Atlas Mountain ranges.

Ready to go? Here’s my expert guide to trekking in the Atlas Mountains.