The Ouzoud falls drop about 110 metres in three stages into a gorge of the Middle Atlas, roughly three hours northeast of Marrakech. They are the tallest waterfalls in North Africa and, unlike most things within a day of Marrakech, they are green: the approach runs through olive terraces and the spray keeps the gorge damp all summer.
A footpath switchbacks down beside the water to the pools at the bottom, where small wooden boats take visitors close enough to the base to get soaked. The walk down takes half an hour or so and the climb back is the only real effort of the day.
The other attraction is the Barbary macaques. A troop lives in the trees along the path and around the upper viewpoints, and they are entirely used to people. Ouzoud is the best place in Morocco to see them without a long trek.
Morning pickup from your accommodation in Marrakech. The road runs northeast towards Beni Mellal through flat farmland and then olive country, climbing gradually into the foothills of the Middle Atlas. The drive takes about three hours with a stop on the way.
At Ouzoud the car park sits at the top of the gorge. The first view is from the terraces on the rim, looking straight across at the water as it comes over the lip in three separate drops. From here a stone path switchbacks down through olive trees to the pools at the bottom, a descent of twenty to thirty minutes at an unhurried pace.
At the bottom, small flat-bottomed boats run out towards the base of the cascade. They get close enough that the spray reaches you, and in bright weather there is usually a rainbow standing in it. There are places to swim in the pools below when the water is warm enough.
Barbary macaques live in the trees along the route. They are wild but completely habituated, and you will almost certainly see them at close range on the walk. Lunch is at one of the restaurants built into the terraces above the water, most of which have tables looking directly at the falls. After the climb back up, the road returns to Marrakech, arriving in the evening.
About three hours each way. The road is paved throughout and much gentler than the Atlas passes, with no long stretches of switchbacks.
It is a stone path with steps and handrails in places, and it takes twenty to thirty minutes down. The climb back up is the harder half. Anyone reasonably steady on their feet manages it, but it is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
Yes, there are pools below the falls where swimming is possible in the warmer months. Bring a towel and swimwear if you want to.
The Barbary macaques are wild but used to visitors. Do not feed or touch them, keep bags closed, and they will ignore you.
No, the boats are run locally and paid for on the spot. It is inexpensive and takes about ten minutes.
Spring has the strongest flow after the winter rain and the greenest gorge. Summer is hotter but the spray keeps the bottom cool, and it is the best season for swimming.
Almost everything within a day of Marrakech is dry. This is the exception: a green gorge with 110 metres of falling water at the bottom of it, wild monkeys on the path and somewhere to swim. If you have already seen the desert side of Morocco, or you are travelling with children who need something more active than a medina, Ouzoud is the day that breaks up the trip.
