Lower Sixth Geographers enjoyed a fantastic ten day residential trip to Morocco over the Easter break.
Our first day included a caleche tour through Marrakech and an urban land use walk through the Jemaa el-Fnaa and labyrinth of chaotic souks. We headed for the stunning Atlas Mountains where we enjoyed incredible Berber hospitality whilst staying in the beautiful Dar Imlil. Day mountain treks allowed us to understand the geomorphology of the Imlil Valley and the impacts of tourism and local development in rural settlements. We learned and witnessed the impacts of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake in 2023. We gained first-hand experience of the NGO Education for All and the importance of encouraging and supporting education for young girls. We got involved in a community project sourcing and building a primary school library wall.
We then headed west for two days to the charming seaside port town of Essaouira, where we investigated coastal processes, landforms and conflicts. We then travelled up and over the High Atlas Mountains, south towards Zagora to understand more about the processes, landforms, opportunities and challenges in hot arid landscapes. We stayed in the timeless UNESCO settlement of Aït Benhaddou and visited the Atlas film studios in Ouarzazate, where films including Gladiator and Odyssey were filmed. Following the Draa river valley we consolidated our understanding of the interconnected challenges of the water/food/energy nexus including those linked to Africa’s largest concentrated ‘Noor’ solar power station.
Another highlight of the trip was the 4×4 jeeps trip to the vast star dune systems near M’hamid with a camel trek and a traditional overnight ’Berber style’ desert camp. Morocco is truly a land of contrasts.
Thank you to Mr Thompson, Mr Willis and Mrs Macleay for an unforgettable Geography trip.
