Best snow destinations in Africa
Best snow destinations in Africa
High-altitude atlas mountain peaks and rare seasonal winter snow tracks in Africa
Africa is probably the last place most people think of for snow, but a few mountain ranges on the continent get real winter weather, which can be a fun surprise.
In Morocco, Oukaïmeden in the High Atlas has ski lifts less than two hours from Marrakech, so skiing and the souks can fit in one day. The town of Ifrane in the Middle Atlas often gets snow in winter and has chalet-style houses that look more like the Alps than North Africa. Afriski in Lesotho is one of the few proper ski resorts in Africa, and the Drakensberg in South Africa sometimes turns white after a winter cold front. For snow all year, you would need to climb high on Kilimanjaro, where glaciers still cover parts of the summit.
Snow in most of these places is not reliable, so it is best to stay flexible and check local reports before you go.
Lists by region
Region in Morocco
Atlas Mountains
Majestic peaks echo ancient desert horizons
Oukaïmeden is about 80 kilometres south-southeast of Marrakech in the Atlas Mountains. Its skiing area lies between 2,600 and 3,200 metres, which gives skiers a vertical range of 600 metres. Six ski lifts serve the slopes across that range. The resort is close to Toubkal mountain.
Country
Lesotho
Mountain kingdom in the sky
Afriski in the Maluti Mountains has a top elevation of 3,222 metres. It is the only ski resort in this country and one of only two in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has six trails totalling 1.7 kilometres. The drive from Johannesburg or Pretoria takes about 4.5 hours.
Nature Reserve in South Africa
Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park
Barrier of spears touching sky
The high ground of the Drakensberg is cool and wet and receives snowfall. The Sotho name Maloti means barrier of up-pointed spears. Thabana Ntlenyana reaches 3,482 metres on the border with Lesotho. UNESCO listed the park in 2000 and it holds 35,000 to 40,000 San rock art works.
Mountain in Tanzania
Mount Kilimanjaro
Africa's Roof, World's Highest Freestanding Volcano
Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller first reached the summit in 1889. Uhuru Peak is 5,895 metres high. Kibo is the tallest of three volcanic cones. The mountain has an ice cap and glaciers such as Credner, Furtwängler and Rebmann. Almost 85 percent of the ice cover disappeared between 1912 and 2011.
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