Morocco
Ouzoud Falls
A hundred-metre cascade smashing into olive-grove pools where Barbary macaques swing through the mist.
The sound arrives before the sight — a deep, steady roar that grows as you descend through olive groves toward the lip of the cascade. Then the falls appear: 110 metres of water crashing into a series of pools where mist rises in permanent clouds and Barbary macaques swing through fig trees at the gorge's edge. Rainbows form and dissolve in the spray. The air is ten degrees cooler here than on the plateau above. Small cafés cling to the cliff at improbable angles, their tables overlooking the drop.
Ouzoud Falls is a 110-metre cascade in the Middle Atlas, roughly 150 kilometres northeast of Marrakech, making it the tallest waterfall in North Africa. The falls drop in three tiers into a gorge of red rock and green vegetation, with a colony of Barbary macaques inhabiting the surrounding olive groves. A path descends to the base of the falls, where small boats ferry visitors across the pool for closer views. The falls are at their most powerful in spring after snowmelt, though they flow year-round. The surrounding area has been developed with restaurants, viewpoints, and a zip-line, but the natural spectacle remains the draw.
Family
Children are captivated by the monkeys, the thunder of water, and the boat rides at the base. The path down is steep but manageable, and the cliff-edge cafés have railings.
Friends
The combination of natural spectacle, swimming pools at the base, and communal lunch spots makes Ouzoud a natural day-trip destination for groups.
Couple
The walk down through olive groves, the mist at the base, and lunch overlooking the cascade — it is a day trip that earns its superlatives.
- At 110 metres, the cascade is the tallest in North Africa — visible from kilometres away.
- Barbary macaques swing through the olive trees and mist at the base of the falls.
- Rainbow arcs form in the permanent spray cloud throughout the afternoon.
- Natural swimming pools at the base are deep and clear enough for cliff jumping.
Grilled lamb kebabs and fresh orange juice at the cliff-edge restaurants above the falls.
Tajine of river fish cooked over open fires at the base of the cascade.
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