Ouzoud Waterfalls-Morocco

Ouzoud Waterfalls (French: Cascades d’Ouzoud) (110 m high) are located in the Grand Atlas village of Tanaghmeilt, in the province of Azilal, 150 km north-east of Marrakech, in Morocco. The falls are the most visited site in this region. The surrounding landscape is made up of idyllic green valleys, mills, orchards and the dramatic gorges of the ‘El Abid’ river or ‘Slaves river’ in Arabic. You can even go swimming here, at the bottom of the falls. Access is through a shaded path of olive trees. As the sun begins to fade, you can see whole troops of monkeys playing in the twilight – very surreal. Situated around two and a half hours drive to the east of Marrakech, this wonder of nature, the Ouzoud Falls, is one of Morocco’s most beautiful, and indeed surprising, sights. Here, a seemingly waterless broad valley gives way to a deep gorge where thousands of litres of water crash down four tiers into the pools below. At Ouzoud the water flows year round and this secnic spot is a popular day trip (largely for Moroccans) from Marrakech. The falls are best viewed from a walkway that snakes its way through the trees down to the foot of the falls. There are car parking facilities at the top of the falls – in the village of Ouzoud – and plenty of places to eat and drink close to the path down. Being largely a domestic tourism scene, cafes serve Moroccan staples of tajines, brochettes and the obligatory mint tea. For anyone wishing to spend the night at the falls there’s one excellent hotel – Riad Cascades d’Ouzoud – and a clutch of smaller more basic places. The falls make a good place to hike from, continuing down to the foot of the cascades and onward from there, and a good place to stop for a break en route to the central part of the High Atlas Mountains. Epic Morocco treks and bike tours that originate in the Ait Bougmez region stop en route in Ouzoud, a strategic stopover half way through the drive. Ait Bougmez is the main trailhead for hikes into the Mgoun massif (Mgoun is the third highest peak in Morocco) and is unquestionably one of the most beautiful and appealing valleys in the HIgh Atlas Mountains. As well as the ascent of Mgoun itself (Mgoun Circuit), it is also the starting point for one leg of our “Walking with Nomads” tour, and the first stage of our “Central Atlas Explorer” bike tour – a 7 day ride through the central High Atlas and into the south. You will be able to watch Barbary apes in their natural habitat swinging from the olive branches. From carob trees to the old small mills at the summit of the falls, there are plenty of opportunities to relax peacefully! The valley is also home to the only mountain guide training college in Africa – where all of Epic Morocco’s English-speaking mountain guides are trained. Most of the guides originate in this region, making them particularly well placed to guide trips in the area. It’s a long distance from Marrakech but is a journey that’s well worth the effort in order to access arguably the best mountain region in Morocco. Enjoy a wonderful day in the Atlas Mountains and take a deep breath while admiring the beautiful Ouzoud waterfalls. The bottom of the falls is accessible through a shaded path of olive trees. At the summit of the falls, there exist a dozen of old small mills that are still in use. One can also follow a narrow and difficult track leading to the road of Beni Mellal while descending the gorges from the “wadi el-Abid” by a canyon sometimes which one does not distinguish the bottom with nearly 600 metres.