Ouzoud Waterfalls Day Trip

Ouzoud is the tallest waterfall in North Africa — 110 metres in three tiers, dropping into a gorge so green it looks imported. The drive from Marrakech takes about three hours across the Middle Atlas foothills. From the top you walk down through olive terraces on a stepped path, roughly thirty minutes at an easy pace, with the falls appearing and disappearing between the trees.

Barbary macaques live in the olive groves and come close, entirely wild and entirely unbothered by visitors. At the bottom, small wooden boats take you near enough to the base to feel the spray, and on a bright afternoon there is almost always a rainbow across the pool. Lunch is on a terrace overlooking the cascades. The walk back up is the only demanding part of the day, and you are back in Marrakech for dinner. Best from March to June, when the flow is at its strongest.