Just hours away from the imperial city of Marrakech, lies one of the most spectacular waterfalls among a group of Berber villages within Morocco. Traveling to the famous waterfalls in Morocco, Ouzoud Falls is a great way to see the country’s natural resources. Ouzoud Falls encompass within this geographically green region, the waterfalls are so beautiful that even a novice photographer can capture stunning images of the area. When it comes to Ouzoud Falls, a picture is truly worth a thousand words and shows the amazing reality of life.
Ouzoud Falls is 110m high and is located near the High Atlas, in the Azilal Province, 150km northeast of Marrakech, in Morocco. The lower part of the waterfall’s mouth can be reached by a shaded path of olive trees. At the top of the waterfall there are dozens of small old factories that are still in use. One can also follow a narrow and difficult path that leads to the Beni Mellal road, while descending the gorges into the valley from Oued Abed sometimes one does not distinguish the bottom which is almost 600 metres down.
Ouzoud Falls is the most visited site in the region, surrounded by green valleys, mills, and orchards, a wonderful circle of valleys from the Abed River Street, many local and national associations are carrying out projects to protect and preserve the site, Ouzoud Falls represent a complex network of waterfalls that cascade over 110 meters one to the other through three major and several minor drops.
The best time to take pictures of Ouzoud Falls is between mid to late afternoon, rainbows often appear, making the falls more visible, and visiting Ouzoud Falls is good all year round but is especially popular during the summer when families and teenagers from nearby cities come to picnic, near the waterfalls, set up tents, have barbecues and stay overnight in the place.
There are other interesting places to see at the Ouzoud Falls. If you follow the paths under the falls you will eventually come to a grove of oak and pomegranate trees. Among the groves it is sometimes possible to spot a Barbary ape. The best chance of spotting a monkey is at dawn or an hour before dawn as they come to drink from the natural pools. You can also find a corner of small wooden fishing boats. These boats are hand-carved and add to the charm of what some refer to as a “Mexican village.” The village is even more interesting, through a series of underground passages that connect to it. At the bottom of the falls, there is a wonderful pool of river water for swimming between the waterfalls. It is refreshing in the heat of summer but can be quite cold.
By : Anir