Nature

We are suckers for a room with a killer view.  We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the Hotel Chatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.

Thanks to HotelChatter tipster srte for dropping this in our Flickr pool. It's from Richard Branson'sKasbah Tamadot in Morocco, and we're more than impressed with this magnificent view from the terrace of the hotel overlooking the pool, and a fantastic garden.

Nature of Morocco
See Morocco photos submitted to National Geographic by users like you. ... this image one of tension and grace, emphasizing man's relationship to nature

A paradise for birds
Great diversity of nature

Granites of Tafraoute A bizarr lunar landscape in a remote valley of the eastern Anti Atlas. 550 million years ago hot granitic melts migrated deep under the earth surface in this region. Several large continental blocks collided to form Africa. During the crash intense heat developed and rocks began to melt. Today wind and water have sculptured the granites of Tafraoute into dramatic shapes. Rock needles and pillows capture our imagination.
Algal mats near Ouarzazate Eventually Africa was born and the forces of the deep faded away. The southern continents of the earth (including Africa) were interconnected to form the Gondwana superplate. Life was still little developed and the sea that covered Morocco was full of "algal" mats that consisted of cyanobacteria. Large parts of the Anti Atlas today are formed by the fossilized remains of this slime.
Ordovician Glaciation 440 million years ago it became in Morocco, which was located near the south pole during those times. Within a few thousands of years a gigantic ice cap formed over North Africa and the Sahara. The glacial scratches are preserved til today and can be admired in the mountains in the Tazzarine - Zagora area.
Silurian graptolithic shales in the Anti-Atlas 200.000 years later the glacial era was over - the ice began to melt. Huge amounts of fresh meltwater poured into the sea pushing the sea level ever higher. On the oxygen-deprived sea floor a stinky black goo was laid down. A rain of graptolite corpses sank down from the better oxygenated upper water layers into the mud. The animals make attractive targets for fossil hunters today.
Orthoceras limestones near Tazzarine Other animals entered the scene slightly later. Squid-like "straighthorns" - orthoceras. Like swimming arrows they roamd the Morocan Silurian seas. Their remains form the basis for the famous fossil industry of the twon of Erfoud. Here the fossil-rich limestone is processed and turned into tables, bathtubes and floor panels that are exported worldwide.
Mud mounds near Erfoud Not far from Erfoud a group of rounded limestone humocks can be found, a view not too different from that 400 million years ago (however then only visbile for divers...). The Hamar Lakhdad mud mounds formed in teh sea above volcanic hot springs that provided ample nutrients and energy for the builders of the mounds.
200 million year old red river sediments in the Argana Valley Eventually the sea retreated, triggered by the continental collision of Morocco and North America. Morocco was uplifeted and folded. The newly formed mountains, however, quickly were attacked by wind, temperature changes and water. The reddish debris from this destructive phase is preserved in the Argana Valley between Marakech and Agadir. At the time large river systems transported the sand and gravel away from the mountains towards the sea.
Friouato karst shaft in the Middle Atlas When all debris had gone and the sea level had rosen Morocco was again flooded by the sea. A wide shelfal, tropical coral sea formed - the former sea floor today forms large parts of the High and Middle Atlas. Acidic ground water has meanwhile cut extensive cave systems into the mountains. One of the entrances to this subterranean labyrinth is the karst shaft of Friouato near the town of Taza.
Cascades D'Ouzoud waterfalls in High Atlas The highest and most beautiful water falls of Morocco are the Cascades d'Ouzoud, about two hours drive from Marrakesh. The fall is one hundred metres high and cascades down over several levels.
Dades- and Todra canyons in High Atlas In other parts of the High Atlas rivers have cut deep canyon systems. The Dades Gorge is Morocco's Grand Canyon. The river already existed before the High Atlas was uplifted and therefore had enough time to react to any mountain-building movements by cutting ever deeper into the rocky substrate.
Blow Holes north of Agadir Holes also play a major role along the Jurassic coast north of Agadir. When the wind gets up waves push the sea water into holes in the karstic limestone. The water is ejected on the other side as fountains, a spectacle reminiscent of Iceland's hot geysirs but here driven by the cold Atlantic waves alone.
Amesfrane cliff in High Atlas Towards the end of the Cretaceous Africa began to crash against Europe. The High Atlas, Middle Atlas and Rif Mountains were uplifted and folded. The debris of the newly formed mountains accummulated in valleys and hardened. The Amesfrane cliff deep inside the High Atlas is formed by this debris and mother nature has sculptured an impressive ornamented surface. Early travellers in the region compared the shape of the cliff with a church and named it "la Cathedral".
Merzouga sand dunes Mountains do not last forever. The end product of the natural decay is quartz sand. The grains accumulate in huge sanddunes near the town of Erfoud and mark the western end of the gigantic sand sea systems in Algeria, Libya and Egypt.
The film "Natural Wonders of the Maghreb" takes you on a fascinating tour to Morocco's mountains. At the end of the "expedition" you will have experienced Morocco from a completely new perspective which you will not want to miss again.

Mail us your questions about Morocco's earth history!

Along the thousands of kilometers of Atlantic and Mediterranean coast, nature is generous. Discover for example the park at the mouth of the Souss and Massa wadis near Agadir, which form an ideal ecosystem to attract pink flamingoes, cranes and bald ibises… To the south of Sidi Ifni, the sublime white beach extends over 50km of pure beauty. Even further south, Dakhla Bay hosts the last colony of monk seals in the world. Near the Mediterranean, the magnificent Rif nature reserve at the mouth of the Moulaya is also a paradise for birds.

As you approach the Atlas mountains, the landscape becomes greener, the air fresher. You will be surprised to be able to ski in winter while on the same day you can take a swim in Marrakech. Further south stands Ouarzazate, the gateway to the desert, famous for its Kasbahs and ksour (fortified villages). To the east of the city stretches the Dades valley which ends in the Dades and Todra gorges with their sheer rock faces, after crossing the palm groves of Skoura and the valley of the roses. South of Ouarzazate is the Drâa valley which winds up to M’hamid, the last town before the open desert. You will be enchanted by the wide open spaces. This is the ideal place to find peace and calm, with its oasis which spring forth like mirages in a landscape of loose stones and soaring mountains. Their lush green vegetation contrasts sharply with the neighboring desert. The superb dunes of orange-colored sand, such as those of the Chebbi erg can reach 150m high. Magic for camping and being at one with nature.

You are interested in Morocco and have a question regarding origin, geology and fossils of the country's mountains? Send us an email and we try to answer your query: Sebastian.Luning@gmx.net