The caves at Ouzoud Waterfalls: what is there and what we know

• Two kinds of caves: small tufa hollows along the gorge, and the Jemaa Ikarioune caves about 2 km from the falls
• The official 2023 guide lists Jemaa Ikarioune, at Mougrsafen, for its stalactites and stalagmites
• The cliffs are Jurassic limestone coated in young travertine that is still forming today
• No published information on access, opening hours, fees or safety equipment for the caves
• Go with a licensed local guide, a torch and good shoes; stay out after heavy rain
• Our tours do not include the caves; ask us on WhatsApp before booking about a detour

There are caves at the Ouzoud Waterfalls, but probably not the kind most people picture. The first kind is small and everywhere: hollows, overhangs and little caves in the travertine, or tufa, that coats the cliffs and lines the gorge below the falls. The second kind has a name. The official tourist guide to Ouzoud, published in 2023, lists the Jemaa Ikarioune caves, at a place called Mougrsafen, about 2 km from the waterfall, for their stalactites and stalagmites.

That is where reliable information stops. We searched for published details on how to reach the Jemaa Ikarioune caves, when they are open, whether there is a fee and whether there are lights, rails or ropes. We found nothing we could trust. So this page tells you what the sources do say, explains the geology in plain words, and gives practical advice for anyone who wants to look for the caves with a local guide.

We run private day trips from Marrakech to the Ouzoud Waterfalls. Our tours do not include the caves. If you want a cave detour, ask us on WhatsApp before booking, and we will tell you whether it fits in the day.

What caves are there at Ouzoud?

Three sources, each of a different kind, describe caves at or near Ouzoud.

The official tourist guide (2023). "Les cascades d'Ouzoud — les plus grandes chutes d'Afrique du Nord" was produced under the Tourisme Durable Suisse Maroc programme (TDSM), funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Among the sites to visit around Ouzoud, it lists "Grottes Jemaa Ikarioune". It says that, for enthusiasts, about 2 km from the waterfall, you can admire the stalactites and stalagmites of these natural caves. It gives the location as Mougrsafen. That is all it says about them.

Showcaves.com. This long-running reference site on caves and karst classifies Ouzoud as a tufa cave site. It explains that the travertine deposits at the falls are young, from the Quaternary, and still growing, and that they form small caves and dripstones. It describes tufa deposits with small caves along the trail downstream of the falls.

A 2022 geoheritage study. A geoheritage inventory of the Ouzoud syncline, in the M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark, was published in the MDPI proceedings of an online geoscience conference. It describes large travertine deposits on the limestone cliffs above the falls and along the Oued Tissakht, the river that feeds them. It adds that the rapid, turbulent flow between these structures, on its way to the Oued El Abid, digs cavities that local people call the "Ouzoud caves".

Put together, the picture is consistent. Water at Ouzoud both builds rock and carves it. Where it builds, it leaves travertine with hollows inside. Where it rushes, it cuts cavities into that same travertine. And somewhere about 2 km away, a cave with stalactites and stalagmites is known well enough to appear in the official guide.

What are the Jemaa Ikarioune caves?

The honest answer is short: natural caves with stalactites and stalagmites, about 2 km from the falls, at a place the official guide calls Mougrsafen. The guide presents them as a visit "for enthusiasts" and gives no details on access or facilities.

The guide does not say in which direction the caves lie, how long the walk is, or whether the path is marked. It does not mention opening hours, fees, lighting or guides at the cave itself. We looked for this information in other sources and did not find it in a form we could rely on. We would rather tell you that than invent a walking time.

Is Jemaa Ikarioune the same as Jamaa Qarzouiyyine?

A French motorhome forum report from 2010 describes a visit to the Ouzoud Waterfalls and mentions caves called "Jamaa Qarzouiyyine", downstream of the falls. The name looks a little like "Jemaa Ikarioune", and both are near Ouzoud. But we have no source saying that they are one place.

Local place names in this region are Tamazight or Arabic words written down in French or English by different people, so spellings drift a lot. "Jemaa" and "Jamaa", for example, can be the same word. Two names that look alike can be one place, and two places can have similar names. A licensed local guide from Ouzoud is the right person to tell you which cave is which.

How did the caves at Ouzoud form?

To understand the caves, it helps to understand the rock. There are two kinds at Ouzoud, and they are very different in age.

The old rock: Jurassic limestone. According to the official guide, the rock cirque around the falls is cut into Middle Jurassic limestone, about 170 million years old. Showcaves.com gives Middle to Upper Jurassic. This limestone was laid down as sediment in a sea long before the Atlas Mountains rose.

The young rock: travertine. Over that old limestone lies a coat of travertine, which the official guide describes as a rock formed by chemical precipitation of calcium carbonate, a process still active today. Showcaves.com dates these deposits to the Quaternary, the most recent period of geological time, and says they are still growing.

How does travertine build up?

The chemistry is simple. Rainwater picks up carbon dioxide from the air and the soil, which makes it slightly acidic. As it seeps through limestone underground, it dissolves calcium carbonate. When this water comes out at a spring, it is loaded with dissolved carbonate.

Then the water meets the open air. It tumbles over rocks, splashes and sprays, and plants and mosses take up carbon dioxide from it. As the water loses carbon dioxide, it can no longer hold all its carbonate. The carbonate comes out of solution as a solid, coating whatever it touches: rock, moss, roots, fallen leaves. Layer by layer, this builds travertine. Waterfalls are ideal places for it, because the turbulence drives carbon dioxide out of the water fast.

The water of Ouzoud comes from a karst spring upstream. Here the sources disagree a little: the official guide places the falls about 1.5 km from the main source of the Oued Ouzoud, while showcaves.com places the karst spring about 2.8 km south of the falls. Either way, the spring feeds the river all year, which is why the falls keep flowing and the travertine keeps growing. The official guide also notes that the water forms a three-step travertine formation, matching the three tiers of the falls.

Where do the caves come from?

Travertine does not grow as a solid block. It coats moss, plants and hanging roots, and when those decay, they leave holes. Curtains of tufa grow out from a ledge and leave a hollow behind them. Over time, these gaps become small caves and overhangs. That is the first way caves form at Ouzoud: they are built in, not dug out.

The second way is erosion. The 2022 geoheritage study explains that the fast, turbulent water flowing between the travertine structures digs cavities into them. Travertine is often softer and more porous than the old limestone, so moving water and the stones it carries can scour it out. These are the cavities local people call the "Ouzoud caves".

The third way is the classic one, inside the old limestone. Slightly acidic water dissolves limestone along cracks over a very long time and opens passages. Where water then drips from the roof of such a passage and loses carbon dioxide, it leaves carbonate behind. Drop by drop, stalactites grow down from the roof and stalagmites grow up from the floor. The official guide's mention of stalactites and stalagmites at Jemaa Ikarioune points to a cave of this kind, although it does not describe the cave's geology.

How did the gorge itself form?

Showcaves.com explains that the falls are the result of retrograde erosion: a waterfall slowly eats back into the rock upstream. Over time, this has cut a side gorge, and the falls now stand about 1.6 km from the main gorge of the Oued El Abid. The path below the falls follows this side gorge downstream, past tufa deposits, towards the confluence.

Where can you see tufa caves without a long walk?

You do not need to find a named cave to see what makes Ouzoud special. The travertine is all around you on an ordinary visit.

• On the cliffs beside the falls. The rock around the three tiers is coated in travertine, often with moss growing in it. Look for rounded, lumpy surfaces and hanging curtains of rock. That is young rock, still growing.
• Along the path to the foot of the falls. The paved path from the village reaches the foot of the falls in about 20 minutes, as our map of the falls shows. On the way, look at the walls for overhangs and hollows.
• Downstream of the falls. Showcaves.com describes tufa deposits with small caves along the trail below the falls. It says this trail ends after about 500 m at a small café, and a rougher trail continues to the confluence with the Oued El Abid.

The easiest plan is to walk down to the foot of the falls, then follow the trail downstream for a short distance, looking at the tufa as you go. You will see small caves and dripstones without going far from the main site. Only go further on the rough trail if you have time, good shoes and dry weather.

Can you visit the caves on your own?

For the tufa hollows along the main paths and the first part of the trail downstream, yes: you see them simply by walking and looking. For the Jemaa Ikarioune caves, we advise against going alone.

The reasons are practical. We found no published path, no description of the entrance and no information on the inside of the cave. You may not even find the right place without someone who knows it. The official guide recommends using licensed tourist guides for visits around Ouzoud, and this is a case where that advice clearly applies. A local guide knows the way, knows the conditions on the day and can tell you if the cave is not worth visiting in that season.

If you hire a guide on the spot, agree on the price, the route and the time before you set off. Ask whether the walk is on a path or across fields and rocks, and how long it takes each way.

What should you bring and how should you behave?

Because we have no details on the caves themselves, our advice follows from the nature of tufa caves in general and from what we know of the site.

What to bring:

• A torch or headlamp, one per person if possible. A phone light drains the battery you may need for the rest of the day.
• Sturdy shoes with grip. Tufa is often wet, and wet travertine can be very slippery. Sandals are a bad idea.
• Water and a light layer. Caves are cooler than outside, and the walk back in summer can be hot.
• Clothes you do not mind getting dirty. Cave floors are often muddy.

How to behave:

• Do not enter caves after heavy rain. Water levels can rise fast in this region after storms. Our safety page explains that heavy rain days cluster in November and March, when the river can rise and turn red-brown.
• Stay back from slippery tufa edges. Travertine ledges can be undercut, crumbly and wet. Do not climb on them or lean over drops.
• Do not disturb bats. The official guide says the Ouzoud site, a Site of Biological and Ecological Interest (SIBE), offers habitats for bats. If you see any, keep your light away from them, stay quiet and move on. Never touch one.
• Do not touch or break formations. Stalactites and stalagmites grow very slowly. Touching them can stop their growth, and a broken one will not grow back in our lifetimes.
• Keep children close. Hold the hands of young children on wet ground and near any drop.
• Take your rubbish back. Nothing should be left behind in a cave.

Is there treasure hidden in the caves?

Some commercial tour websites repeat a legend of treasure hidden in caves behind the falls. We found it only on promotional pages, with no source, no date and no name of the person who told it. We report it here because you may read it elsewhere, not because we believe it. The real treasure of the Ouzoud caves is the rock: travertine that is still forming under the spray, as it has throughout the Quaternary.

How does a cave visit fit into a day at Ouzoud?

A day trip from Marrakech to Ouzoud already involves a little over three hours of driving each way, as our facts and figures page shows. That leaves about three to four hours at the falls. The classic visit, down to the foot of the falls, a look at the pools, lunch on a terrace and the walk back up, fills most of that time.

A short look at the tufa downstream of the falls fits easily into a normal visit. A search for the Jemaa Ikarioune caves is a different matter. Since we do not know the walking time, we cannot promise that it fits. It depends on the season, on daylight, on your group and on what a local guide says on the day.

If you are interested in the geology of the region, two other pages may help. Our page on the Imi n'Ifri natural bridge covers another limestone and travertine site near Demnate, which can be added to an Ouzoud day as a detour. Our page on the Barbary macaques covers the other wild residents of the cliffs. For the full picture of the site, see our Ouzoud Waterfalls guide.

Our private Ouzoud trips

We run private day trips from Marrakech to the Ouzoud Waterfalls with your group alone in the vehicle. Prices are per vehicle for the whole group:

These offers cover the Ouzoud Waterfalls. The caves are not included. If you would like to add a cave visit, write to us on WhatsApp at +212 755 70 04 84 before booking, with your date and group size. We will tell you honestly whether it fits in the day and confirm in writing before any payment. Please do not book a plain offer expecting the caves to be included without asking first.

Booking is online with a 50% deposit, and cancellation is free up to 48 hours before the trip.

Sources

• Tourisme Durable Suisse Maroc (TDSM), funded by SECO, "Les cascades d'Ouzoud — les plus grandes chutes d'Afrique du Nord", official tourist guide, edition 2023 (in French): Jemaa Ikarioune caves at Mougrsafen, Middle Jurassic limestone, travertine, SIBE, bats, distance to the source, licensed guides
• Showcaves.com, "Karst Features of Morocco: Cascades d'Ouzoud": tufa cave site, Quaternary travertine, small caves and dripstones, trail downstream, retrograde erosion, karst spring
• Geoheritage inventory of the Ouzoud syncline, M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark, Proceedings (MDPI), 2022: travertine deposits and the cavities locals call the "Ouzoud caves"
• Maroc Camping-Car forum, "Cascades d'Ouzoud et grottes de Jamaa Qarzouiyyine", 2010 (in French)