Ouzoud Falls

Ouzoud Falls: tours and planning your visit

Ouzoud Falls belongs to Azilal province, and the macaque study site near Azilal places Ouzoud in the central High Atlas.

Which Ouzoud Falls tours offer a private visit?

A private day trip to the Atlas Mountains and Ouzoud Falls, Marrakech lasts 10 hours and includes private transport in a comfortable vehicle. An English-speaking driver-guide accompanies the trip, with photo stops and scope to adjust the itinerary.

How many days do you need for an Ouzoud waterfalls day trip from Marrakech?

Allow one day for the waterfalls, with a natural bridge stop and lunch filling out the visit. The Ouzoud Waterfalls day trip from Marrakech runs for one day, with a dedicated driver throughout.

It includes a stop at Imi Nifri natural bridge with mint tea, a traditional Berber lunch near the waterfalls and assistance from a local guide at Ouzoud. For getting around, the transport arrangements here are a dedicated driver on the day trip or private vehicle transport on the private trip.

What wildlife can you look out for at Ouzoud?

Barbary macaques are part of the wildlife at Ouzoud: a central High Atlas survey recorded a group at the tourist site. The macaques at Ouzoud live around the waterfalls and the nearby gorges of the El Abid river.

That rocky gorge setting suits the species, as Barbary macaques live mainly in mountain forests and on rocky slopes and stay close to tree cover. Their presence also has a conservation context: the IUCN Red List places the species in the Endangered category. In the wild, Barbary macaques live mainly in the mountain forests of Morocco and Algeria, many of them in Atlas cedar forests.

What could you add to a wider trip?

Bin el-Ouidane lake is an option for a lake-focused addition, while the M'Goun Geopark offers a geological theme. The lake covers about 3,800 hectares, behind a dam about 28 kilometres south of Beni Mellal.

Its dam was finished in 1953 on the El-Abid river and reaches a height of 133 metres. For an interest in deep history, the M'Goun Geopark has rocks from the Triassic and Jurassic periods and is known for dinosaur footprints.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Bin el-Ouidane dam?

The Bin el-Ouidane dam extends for more than 290 metres.

Where else in Morocco can I see Barbary macaques at tourist sites?

Barbary macaques also inhabit tourist sites in the Middle Atlas and the Rif.

Is Tamazight an official language in Morocco?

Tamazight has official language status under Article 5 of Morocco's 2011 constitution.