The Cascades d'Ouzoud are the most famous waterfalls in Morocco and among the highest in North Africa, spilling roughly 110 metres in a series of tiered curtains over rust-red cliffs into a green gorge of the El Abid river. The name comes from the Amazigh word for olives, and the surrounding hillsides are thick with ancient olive groves that frame nearly every view. In sunlight the constant mist thrown up by the falls catches the light and produces rainbows, most reliably in the late morning and early afternoon.
A network of dirt paths and stone steps rings the gorge, so you can take in the cascades from several angles: sweeping panoramas from the rim on the town side, closer terraces part-way down where cafes and stalls cling to the slope, and the base pool at the bottom where the full height of the falls rises above you. The descent and climb back are steep and can be slippery near the spray, and the site is open-air with little shade beyond the olive trees.
Ouzoud sits about 150 km northeast of Marrakech, a winding two-and-a-half to three-hour drive through the Middle Atlas foothills. A private driver handles that road door-to-door, gets you to the rim viewpoints before the midday tour buses arrive, and waits while you walk down to the base and back at your own pace.
Highlights
- The full tiered drop of roughly 110 m, Morocco's tallest waterfall
- Rim viewpoints on the town side for the classic head-on panorama
- Midday rainbows suspended in the rising mist when the sun is high
- Terrace cafes part-way down the gorge overlooking the cascades
- Olive-grove slopes that give Ouzoud (meaning olives) its name
- The green El Abid river gorge stretching below the base pool
Best Time to Visit
Late morning to early afternoon on a sunny day gives the best light for rainbows in the mist; arrive before midday to beat the tour-bus crowds, and visit in spring or autumn for full water flow and mild temperatures.