Ouzoud Excursions
In short
In short: the Ouzoud Waterfalls are 110 m high and fall in three tiers into the gorge of the Oued El Abid, at about 1,060 m in Azilal Province, in the central High Atlas of Morocco (32.0152 N, 6.7189 W). By road they are 160 km from Marrakech, a little over 3 hours without stops, 258 km from Casablanca and 37 km from Azilal. Entry is free. Seven viewpoints are mapped within about 300 m of the falls, the paved path reaches the foot of the falls in about 20 minutes, and the loop on both banks is about 3.5 km. Over 1995-2024, July is the hottest month, with an average high of 35.3 °C, and March the wettest, with 68 mm. A rainbow can form from about 13:05 in mid-November, but only after about 17:00 in June and July. A troop of Barbary macaques, an Endangered species, lives on the site; it grew from 25 to 40 animals between 2003 and 2007.
- 110 m high in three tiers, at about 1,060 m above sea level
- 160 km and a little over 3 hours by road from Marrakech
- 7 mapped viewpoints, 5 car parks, 16 places to stay, 9 named places to eat
- July average high 35.3 °C; March the wettest month with 68 mm
- Earliest rainbow window 13:05 in mid-November, after 17:00 in summer
- Every figure sourced, our datasets free to reuse with a link
The Ouzoud Waterfalls are 110 m high and fall in three tiers into the gorge of the Oued El Abid, at about 1,060 m above sea level in Azilal Province, central High Atlas. They lie 160 km by road from Marrakech, a little over 3 hours of driving, and entry is free. This page gathers every key figure about the falls in one place: the ones we measured ourselves, with our method, and the ones taken from published sources, with links.
We run private day trips from Marrakech to Ouzoud, and we kept being asked the same questions: how high, how far, how hot, when is the rainbow, how many monkeys. Online answers often contradict each other. So we checked the published figures, calculated the rest from open data, and wrote down where sources disagree. Each block below is written to be quoted on its own.
What are the key facts about the Ouzoud Waterfalls?
| Fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total height | 110 m | Wikipedia (EN, FR), Wikidata, M'Goun Geopark |
| Tiers | 3 | Wikipedia (EN, FR), M'Goun Geopark |
| Longest single drop | 75 m or about 100 m (sources disagree) | Wikipedia and Wikidata / Lonely Planet |
| Width | About 90 m | French Wikipedia, Wikidata |
| Altitude | About 1,060 m (Wikidata: 1,068 m) | French Wikipedia, Wikidata |
| Coordinates | 32.0152 N, 6.7189 W | Wikidata Q38212 |
| Province and region | Azilal, Béni Mellal-Khénifra | Wikipedia, M'Goun Geopark |
| Mountain range | Central High Atlas | Wikipedia, M'Goun Geopark |
| Road distance from Marrakech | 160 km, a little over 3 hours | Our OSRM calculation |
| Entry fee | Free | Journal of Nomads, our own visits |
| Protected status | Geosite of the M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark (2015); Site of Biological and Ecological Interest | UNESCO, M'Goun Geopark, French Wikipedia |
For the practical side of a visit, from the walk to the boat, see our full Ouzoud Waterfalls guide.
Geography: where exactly are the falls?
The Ouzoud Waterfalls are in the commune of Aït Taguella, near the village of Ouzoud, in Azilal Province, region of Béni Mellal-Khénifra. Reliable sources place them in the central High Atlas, not the Middle Atlas as some websites say. Wikidata gives the coordinates 32.0152 N, 6.7189 W, and the falls carry the Wikidata identifier Q38212.
The altitude is about 1,060 m according to the French Wikipedia and 1,068 m according to Wikidata. We round to "about 1,060 m", as on the rest of our site. That height explains why mornings at the falls are often cooler than in Marrakech.
Which rivers make the falls?
The water comes from the Oued Ouzoud, also called the Oued Tissakht; both names are in use, and OpenStreetMap labels it Oued Tissakht. The river is fed by a karst spring a few kilometres upstream, about 2.8 km south of the falls according to Showcaves.com, which is why the falls flow all year. At the falls it drops over Jurassic limestone cliffs into the gorge of the Oued El Abid, the river that also fills the Bin El Ouidane reservoir.
How high and how wide?
The total height of 110 m is the one figure on which all our sources agree. The single longest drop is another matter: Wikipedia and Wikidata give 75 m, Lonely Planet speaks of about 100 m. We prefer to quote the total and the three tiers. The width of about 90 m comes from the French Wikipedia and Wikidata, which share one source chain, so treat it as indicative.
Is Ouzoud the highest waterfall in Morocco?
We cannot say so. The French Wikipedia calls Ouzoud one of the highest falls in Morocco, and the M'Goun Geopark website calls it the highest. No survey comparing the heights of Moroccan waterfalls has been published that we know of, so "among the highest in Morocco" is the accurate wording.
What protected status does Ouzoud have?
Ouzoud is a geosite of the M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark, designated in 2015 and covering about 573,000 ha in Azilal Province. This is a geopark status, recognising the geology of the area. It is not a UNESCO World Heritage listing, a confusion found on many travel websites. In Morocco, the site is also classified as a Site of Biological and Ecological Interest (SIBE).
Getting there in figures: how far is Ouzoud?
From Marrakech, the Ouzoud Waterfalls are 160 km by road, measured from Jemaa el-Fna on the fastest car route. Our main calculation gives 3 h 04 min of driving without stops; other runs to slightly different end points at the falls give 3 h 01 to 3 h 04. Published figures vary too: the English Wikipedia says 150 km, a 2023 article in Aujourd'hui le Maroc says 165 km. A return trip is about 320 km.
The route leaves Marrakech on the N8 towards Fès, turns east onto regional roads around Tamelelt, and ends on the R304 to the village of Ouzoud. Road numbers on OpenStreetMap (R201, R304) do not always match older maps, where you may still see R208.
Here are the road distances from 24 places, with the same method for every row. Our page on distances to Ouzoud from each city explains what each figure means for a day trip.
| From | Road distance | Driving time (no stops) |
|---|---|---|
| Azilal | 37 km | 0 h 49 min |
| Demnate | 65 km | 1 h 18 min |
| Bin El Ouidane | 67 km | 1 h 27 min |
| Béni Mellal | 92 km | 1 h 47 min |
| Khouribga | 135 km | 2 h 22 min |
| Marrakech | 160 km | 3 h 04 min |
| Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) | 164 km | 3 h 10 min |
| Setti Fatma (Ourika Valley) | 180 km | 3 h 48 min |
| Ouarzazate | 216 km | 4 h 05 min |
| Khénifra | 218 km | 3 h 49 min |
| Imlil | 222 km | 4 h 17 min |
| Casablanca | 258 km | 3 h 50 min |
| Safi | 302 km | 5 h 43 min |
| Ifrane | 317 km | 5 h 34 min |
| Oualidia | 323 km | 5 h 45 min |
| Rabat | 336 km | 4 h 40 min |
| El Jadida | 338 km | 4 h 39 min |
| Essaouira | 340 km | 5 h 35 min |
| Meknès | 343 km | 6 h 02 min |
| Fès | 384 km | 6 h 32 min |
| Agadir | 402 km | 5 h 53 min |
| Merzouga | 458 km | 8 h 43 min |
| Tanger | 586 km | 7 h 24 min |
| Chefchaouen | 586 km | 8 h 47 min |
Fastest route by car, calculated on OpenStreetMap data (OSRM) on 22 October 2026, from the city centre to the falls (32.0152 N, 6.7189 W). Times exclude traffic, stops and police checks: add 15 to 30 minutes on long drives.
Five figures worth remembering:
- Marrakech Menara Airport: 164 km, 3 h 10 min.
- Casablanca: 258 km, 3 h 50 min.
- Fès: 384 km, 6 h 32 min, too far for a same-day return.
- Azilal, the nearest town: 37 km, 49 min.
- Béni Mellal: 92 km on our routing, while published figures range from 90 km (Aujourd'hui le Maroc) to 120 km (French Wikipedia).
The site in figures: viewpoints, paths and services
The Ouzoud site is compact. Almost everything a visitor needs lies within a square of about 1 km, on our map drawn from an OpenStreetMap extract of 23 October 2026. Here is what that data contains.
| Feature | Count or distance | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Viewpoints | 7, all within about 300 m of the lip of the falls | OpenStreetMap |
| Car parks | 5, from about 150 m to 480 m from the lip in a straight line | OpenStreetMap |
| Mapped toilets | 3 | OpenStreetMap |
| Waterfall points at the main falls | 4 close together (lip and tiers), smaller cascades further down | OpenStreetMap |
| Walk down to the foot of the falls | About 20 minutes, slower back up | Lonely Planet, Journal of Nomads, our visits |
| Loop on both banks | About 3.5 km, about 1 hour | AllTrails |
| Places to stay within 3 km | 16 (9 hotels or riads, 1 guesthouse, 1 auberge, 5 campsites) | OpenStreetMap, our count |
| Places to stay within 400 m | 10 | OpenStreetMap, our count |
| Named places to eat | 9 (7 restaurants, 2 cafés), from about 50 m to 1 km from the falls | OpenStreetMap, our count |
| Entry fee | None | Journal of Nomads, our visits |
Two cautions. Open map data is only as complete as its contributors make it: many terraces along the paths are not mapped, so the true number of places to eat is higher than nine. And OpenStreetMap tags only a few short flights as steps, while the path down has many more. There is no official count of the steps, so we do not give one.
The pool at the foot of the falls, where the small boats leave, is about 180 m from the lip in a straight line but more than 100 m lower. Our map of the Ouzoud Waterfalls shows every viewpoint, car park and path, with three walking routes.
For accommodation and food, the full lists with distances are on our pages on where to stay at Ouzoud and where to eat at Ouzoud.
How many people visit Ouzoud?
No official visitor count is published. A 2023 newspaper article gave 25,000 to 30,000 visitors a day, which cannot be a daily average for a site of this size, so we do not use it. What sources agree on is the pattern: the falls are busiest on summer weekends and during Moroccan school holidays, and quietest on winter weekdays.
What about the mills and the name?
Small traditional mills stand along the water channels at the top of the falls, in a setting of olive groves, and some still work. The French Wikipedia describes them as small oil mills; no source gives a reliable count. The meaning of the name is disputed. The English Wikipedia says "Ouzoud" means the act of grinding grain in Berber, flagged "citation needed". Travel websites, such as a 2017 Geocaching blog post, say it means olive. Neither claim has a linguistic source that we could find.
Weather and light in figures
Our climate figures are 30-year averages, 1995 to 2024, that we calculated for the exact point of the falls from the Open-Meteo historical weather API, which serves the ERA5 reanalysis. There is no weather station at Ouzoud. These are model values for the area, not station readings.
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rain | Rainy days (1 mm or more) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16.4 °C | 3.3 °C | 54 mm | 6.2 |
| Feb | 17.9 °C | 4.4 °C | 52 mm | 6.7 |
| Mar | 20.2 °C | 6.4 °C | 68 mm | 8.4 |
| Apr | 22.3 °C | 8.9 °C | 61 mm | 8.6 |
| May | 26.2 °C | 12.1 °C | 43 mm | 6.7 |
| Jun | 30.7 °C | 15.7 °C | 13 mm | 3.9 |
| Jul | 35.3 °C | 19.1 °C | 7 mm | 2.7 |
| Aug | 35.1 °C | 19.4 °C | 10 mm | 4.3 |
| Sep | 30.0 °C | 16.0 °C | 25 mm | 4.7 |
| Oct | 26.0 °C | 12.7 °C | 43 mm | 5.7 |
| Nov | 20.3 °C | 7.6 °C | 58 mm | 6.0 |
| Dec | 17.5 °C | 4.8 °C | 46 mm | 6.0 |
Averages 1995-2024 at the falls (32.0152 N, 6.7189 W), Open-Meteo historical weather data (ERA5 reanalysis), calculated on 23 October 2026. A model average for the site, not a weather station: real days vary.
The figures that matter most, read from this table:
- Hottest month: July, average high 35.3 °C, just ahead of August at 35.1 °C.
- Warmest nights: August, average low 19.4 °C.
- Coldest month: January, average high 16.4 °C and low 3.3 °C.
- Wettest month: March, 68 mm; April has the most rainy days, 8.6.
- Driest month: July, 7 mm over 2.7 rainy days.
- Whole year: about 480 mm of rain over about 70 days with 1 mm or more (sum of the monthly averages).
Our page on the weather at Ouzoud month by month turns these figures into advice on seasons and clothes.
How often is it very hot or very wet?
Averages hide extremes, so we also counted the days with heavy rain and strong heat in the same 30-year series.
| Month | Days with 20 mm of rain or more | Days with 40 mm or more | Wettest day recorded (1995-2024) | Days at 35 °C or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.4 | 0.03 | 49 mm (4 January 2008) | 0.0 |
| Feb | 0.47 | 0.0 | 37 mm (15 February 2016) | 0.0 |
| Mar | 0.73 | 0.0 | 37 mm (28 March 2009) | 0.0 |
| Apr | 0.57 | 0.07 | 49 mm (20 April 1997) | 0.1 |
| May | 0.2 | 0.0 | 33 mm (15 May 2020) | 1.7 |
| Jun | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16 mm (4 June 2011) | 5.3 |
| Jul | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9 mm (2 July 2010) | 17.8 |
| Aug | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 mm (1 August 2004) | 16.7 |
| Sep | 0.2 | 0.03 | 53 mm (18 September 2013) | 3.5 |
| Oct | 0.5 | 0.0 | 35 mm (11 October 2010) | 0.2 |
| Nov | 0.77 | 0.1 | 54 mm (15 November 2002) | 0.0 |
| Dec | 0.43 | 0.0 | 34 mm (27 December 2000) | 0.0 |
Calculated by us on 24 October 2026 from the Open-Meteo historical weather API (ERA5 reanalysis) at the falls, 1995-2024, average per year. ERA5 smooths local storms: real downpours at the falls can be stronger.
Added up over the year, that makes about 4.3 days with 20 mm of rain or more, most of them in November (0.77 a year) and March (0.73). The wettest day in the series brought 54 mm, on 15 November 2002. At the other end, the falls see about 45 days a year at 35 °C or more, including 17.8 in an average July and 16.7 in August: more than half the days of those two months. ERA5 works on a grid of about 25 km and smooths local storms, so real downpours at the falls can be stronger. These counts feed the advice in our guide to staying safe at Ouzoud.
Is there flow data for the falls?
No. We found no published measurements of the flow of the Oued Ouzoud. Visitors and guides describe the strongest flow in spring and lower water in late summer, partly because water is taken for irrigation. After heavy rain the falls can turn red-brown: on 20 October 2026, Le360 reported an exceptional flow after more than four hours of heavy rain on the heights. Any figure in cubic metres per second you read online for Ouzoud has no source we could trace.
When is the light best, and when is the rainbow?
The water drops towards the west, so the face of the falls is in shade in the morning and lit in the afternoon. We calculated sunrise, sunset, golden hour and the rainbow windows for the 15th of each month.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Sunset | Evening golden hour | Rainbow possible (approx.) | Within a typical day-trip visit (11:00 to 15:00)? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 08:30 | 18:40 | 18:10 - 18:40 | 13:30 - 16:40 | Yes |
| Feb | 08:10 | 19:10 | 18:40 - 19:10 | 15:10 - 17:30 | No, later in the day |
| Mar | 07:40 | 19:30 | 19:05 - 19:30 | 16:00 - 18:35 | No, later in the day |
| Apr | 07:00 | 19:55 | 19:25 - 19:55 | 16:35 - 19:10 | No, later in the day |
| May | 06:30 | 20:15 | 19:45 - 20:15 | 16:55 - 19:45 | No, later in the day |
| Jun | 06:25 | 20:30 | 20:00 - 20:30 | 17:05 - 20:05 | No, later in the day |
| Jul | 06:35 | 20:30 | 20:00 - 20:30 | 17:05 - 20:05 | No, later in the day |
| Aug | 06:55 | 20:10 | 19:40 - 20:10 | 16:50 - 19:30 | No, later in the day |
| Sep | 07:15 | 19:30 | 19:05 - 19:30 | 16:10 - 18:40 | No, later in the day |
| Oct | 07:35 | 18:50 | 18:25 - 18:50 | 15:05 - 17:25 | No, later in the day |
| Nov | 08:00 | 18:25 | 17:55 - 18:25 | 13:05 - 16:25 | Yes |
| Dec | 08:20 | 18:20 | 17:50 - 18:20 | 13:15 - 16:20 | Yes |
Calculated by us on 24 October 2026 for the 15th of each month: sun position (NOAA algorithm), viewpoints from OpenStreetMap and the shape of the gorge from the SRTM 30 m terrain model. Morocco legal time GMT+1 (one hour earlier during Ramadan, when Morocco switches to GMT). A rainbow also needs sunshine on the spray and enough water in the falls.
Key figures from this calculation:
- Earliest rainbow window: 13:05 on 15 November, lasting until 16:25.
- Winter windows (November to January) open between 13:05 and 13:30, inside a typical day-trip visit.
- Summer windows open at 17:05 in June and July and last until 20:05, after most day visitors have left.
- Longest day: 15 June, sunrise 06:25 and sunset 20:30, about 14 hours of daylight.
- Shortest day: 15 December, sunrise 08:20 and sunset 18:20, about 10 hours.
- Highest sun: 81.3 degrees above the horizon at noon in mid-June, 34.7 degrees in mid-December.
All times are Morocco legal time, GMT+1, one hour earlier during Ramadan when the country returns to GMT. Our photography guide explains how to use these windows from each viewpoint.
Wildlife in figures: the Barbary macaques
A free-living troop of Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) lives around the falls. The species is the only macaque living outside Asia and lives wild only in Morocco and Algeria, with an introduced group in Gibraltar.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ouzoud troop, February 2003 | 25 animals | El Alami and Chait, 2016 |
| Ouzoud troop, February 2007 | 40 animals | El Alami and Chait, 2016 |
| Split in 2007 | Two groups, of 23 and 13 animals | El Alami and Chait, 2016 |
| Share of growth from births | 92% (33 births, 3 arrivals) | El Alami and Chait, 2016 |
| Counts in the study | 7, from February 2003 to December 2008 | El Alami and Chait, 2016 |
| Tolerance of people | Within less than 1 m | El Alami and Chait, 2016 |
| IUCN status | Endangered since 2008, after an estimated 50% decline over 24 years | IUCN, Mongabay |
| CITES | Appendix I since 2016 (CoP17, Johannesburg) | CITES, Mongabay |
| Wild population, 2016 estimates | About 6,500 to 9,100 animals | Mongabay |
| Births | Mostly April to June | Animal Diversity Web |
The most important figure is the one that does not exist: nobody has published a current count of the Ouzoud macaques. The census above is more than fifteen years old. The researchers linked the troop's growth, the rise in aggression and the split to food from tourists and rubbish. In Ifrane, a study in PLOS ONE (Maréchal and colleagues, 2016) found that food from tourists made up on average 44.6% of the diet of a fed group, with signs of stress and poorer health. We found no official rule banning feeding at Ouzoud; not feeding them is responsible-travel advice backed by research. Our page on the Ouzoud macaques explains how to watch them without harm.
Water and safety in figures
Swimming at Ouzoud is not supervised. In June 2026, Aujourd'hui le Maroc reported more drownings in the lower pool of the falls and a formal ban on swimming in certain zones, with warning and prohibition signs and a seasonal agent hired by the commune. We know of no lifeguard service and no published water temperature.
Around Ouzoud: how far are the nearby sites?
Several other geosites of the M'Goun Geopark lie in the same province. We calculated the road distances between them with the same method as above.
| From | To | Road distance | Driving time (no stops) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marrakech, Jemaa el-Fna | Imi n'Ifri natural bridge | 110 km | 2 h 11 min |
| Marrakech, Jemaa el-Fna | Demnate | 104 km | 2 h 03 min |
| Marrakech, Jemaa el-Fna | Bin El Ouidane dam | 211 km | 3 h 29 min |
| Ouzoud Waterfalls | Bin El Ouidane dam | 62 km | 1 h 19 min |
| Ouzoud Waterfalls | Imi n'Ifri natural bridge | 71 km | 1 h 24 min |
| Ouzoud Waterfalls | Demnate | 65 km | 1 h 16 min |
| Ouzoud Waterfalls | Azilal | 37 km | 47 min |
| Azilal | Bin El Ouidane dam | 26 km | 33 min |
| Demnate | Imi n'Ifri natural bridge | 6 km | 9 min |
| Round trip Marrakech, Imi n'Ifri, Ouzoud, Marrakech | 342 km | 6 h 41 min | |
| Round trip Marrakech, Ouzoud, Marrakech | 320 km | 6 h 06 min | |
Calculated by us on 24 October 2026 with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (places geocoded with Nominatim). Driving time without stops or traffic: allow more on mountain roads.
- Bin El Ouidane: the dam is 62 km from the falls, about 1 h 19 (67 km to the village of the same name). It is a 133 m concrete arch dam on the Oued El Abid. Most sources date it to 1953; the French Wikipedia gives commissioning in 1954. Capacity figures disagree: 1,500 million m³ in the English Wikipedia, 1,384 million m³ in the French one.
- Imi n'Ifri: a natural rock bridge carved by the Tissilt river about 6 km from Demnate, geosite GS-20 of the M'Goun Geopark. It is 71 km from the falls, and the loop Marrakech, Imi n'Ifri, Ouzoud, Marrakech measures 342 km against 320 km for a plain return.
- Demnate: 65 km from the falls, about 1 h 16.
- Iouaridène dinosaur tracks: sauropod and theropod footprints from the Upper Jurassic, another geosite of the Geopark.
Compared with other waterfalls in Morocco, Ouzoud is a long but realistic day trip from Marrakech: Setti Fatma is 63 km from the city, Imouzzer Ida Outanane 224 km, Ouzoud 160 km and Akchour, in the north, 678 km.
Visiting with us, in figures
All our trips are private: the vehicle and the driver are for your group only, in a minivan for 1 to 7 people or a minibus for 8 to 17. Pickup is at your hotel or the nearest gate to your riad around 8:00, with about 3 to 4 hours at the falls.
| Offer | 1 to 7 people | 8 to 17 people |
|---|---|---|
| Private transport with driver, free time at the falls | 180 € | 250 € |
| Private Ouzoud tour, with a local guide at the falls | 220 € | 330 € |
| Premium private day, guide, boat and lunch included | 220 € + 35 € per person | 330 € + 35 € per person |
Prices are per vehicle for the whole group. Booking is instant online with a 50% deposit, and cancellation is free up to 48 hours before.
How did we measure these figures?
Every figure on this page is either calculated by us from open data, with the method below, or taken from a published source listed at the end.
- Road distances: fastest car route calculated with the OSRM routing engine on OpenStreetMap data, places geocoded with Nominatim, measured on 22 and 24 October 2026. Times are pure driving, without stops or traffic.
- Climate: daily data from the Open-Meteo historical weather API (ERA5 reanalysis) for 32.0152 N, 6.7189 W, from 1995 to 2024, averaged month by month. Rainy days are days with at least 1 mm.
- Heavy rain and heat: same series, average number of days per year with 20 mm and 40 mm of rain or more, and with a maximum of 35 °C or more.
- Light and rainbow: sun position by the NOAA solar algorithm in 5-minute steps; a window is kept when, from at least one of the seven OpenStreetMap viewpoints, part of the spray at the foot of the falls lies about 40 to 42 degrees from the antisolar point, with the sun up, behind the observer and above the rim of the gorge (SRTM 30 m terrain model).
- Site counts: an OpenStreetMap extract of 23 October 2026 (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). Places to eat are counted only when they have a name.
Rounding follows the rest of our site: distances to the kilometre, temperatures to a tenth of a degree, altitude to "about 1,060 m".
How to cite this page
You are welcome to quote any figure on this page. Please link to the page, so readers can check the method and the sources. A suggested citation:
Ouzoud Excursions (Visit Morocco Trips), "Ouzoud Waterfalls facts and figures", ouzoudexcursions.com/ouzoud-waterfalls-facts-and-figures/, consulted on [date].
Our datasets are published as JSON files, free to reuse with attribution (OpenStreetMap-based data under ODbL, climate and light data under CC BY 4.0):
- Road distances from 24 places
- Distances from Marrakech to classic day trips
- Monthly climate at the falls
- Heavy rain and heat days
- Sunrise, sunset, golden hour and rainbow times
- Accommodation at Ouzoud
- Distances to nearby sites
- Distances to four Moroccan waterfalls
- Paths, viewpoints and services (OpenStreetMap extract)
- Index of all our data
Sources
- Ouzoud Falls, Wikipedia (English): 110 m, three drops, 75 m longest drop, 150 km from Marrakech, name "citation needed", consulted October 2026
- Cascades d'Ouzoud, Wikipédia (French): altitude, width, mills, SIBE status, "among the highest", consulted October 2026
- Ouzoud Falls, Wikidata Q38212: coordinates, altitude, height, width, consulted October 2026
- M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark, geosites: Ouzoud, Bin El Ouidane, Imi n'Ifri, Iouaridène, consulted October 2026
- UNESCO, M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark: designation 2015, area, Oued El Abid, consulted October 2026
- Showcaves.com, Ouzoud: karst spring feeding the falls, consulted October 2026
- Lonely Planet, Cascades d'Ouzoud: paved path, crowds, drop of about 100 m, consulted October 2026
- Journal of Nomads, Ouzoud Waterfalls: free entry, walking time, consulted October 2026
- AllTrails, Morocco trails: Ouzoud loop of about 3.5 km, consulted October 2026
- Aujourd'hui le Maroc, 29 August 2023: commune, 165 km, visitor figure (in French), consulted October 2026
- Aujourd'hui le Maroc, 26 June 2026: drownings and swimming ban in certain zones (in French), consulted October 2026
- Le360, 20 October 2026: exceptional flow after heavy rain (in French), consulted October 2026
- Geocaching blog, "The Ouzoud Waterfalls, Geocache of the Week" (2017): name said to mean olive, consulted October 2026
- El Alami and Chait, "Démographie du magot dans le site touristique des cascades d'Ouzoud", Revue de primatologie 7, 2016 (in French), consulted October 2026
- Maréchal et al., tourist provisioning and macaque health in Ifrane, PLOS ONE 11(5), 2016, consulted October 2026
- Mongabay, "International trade in Barbary macaques banned" (29 September 2016), consulted October 2026
- IUCN, "Deforestation spells doom for Barbary macaque", consulted October 2026
- Animal Diversity Web, Macaca sylvanus: births from April to June, consulted October 2026
- Bin el Ouidane Dam, Wikipedia (English) and Barrage de Bin el Ouidane, Wikipédia (French), consulted October 2026
- Open-Meteo historical weather API (ERA5 reanalysis): daily data 1995-2024, our calculation, consulted October 2026
- NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, Solar Calculation Details, consulted October 2026
- OpenStreetMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Overpass extract of 23 October 2026, consulted October 2026
- OSRM routing engine on OpenStreetMap data, road distances computed on 22 and 24 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
How high are the Ouzoud Waterfalls?
The Ouzoud Waterfalls are 110 m high in total, a figure given by the English and French Wikipedia, Wikidata and the M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark. The water falls in three tiers from Jurassic limestone cliffs into the gorge of the Oued El Abid. Sources disagree on the longest single drop: 75 m for Wikipedia and Wikidata, about 100 m for Lonely Planet. The width is given as about 90 m.
How far is Ouzoud from Marrakech?
The Ouzoud Waterfalls are 160 km from Marrakech by road, measured from Jemaa el-Fna on the fastest car route with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data. Driving time without stops is a little over 3 hours (3 h 04 min in our main calculation). A return trip is therefore about 320 km. With a coffee break and the slower mountain roads at the end, plan about 3 hours each way.
How many tiers does Ouzoud have?
Ouzoud has three tiers. The infobox of the English and French Wikipedia articles counts three drops, and the M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark describes the water falling over three successive tiers. Together they make the 110 m total height. On OpenStreetMap, four waterfall points sit close together at the main falls, matching the lip and the tiers, with smaller cascades further down the gorge.
Is there an entry fee at Ouzoud?
No. There is no ticket for the Ouzoud Waterfalls themselves, and the paths on both banks are open to everyone. Visitors usually pay for other things: parking attendants, drinks and meals on the terraces, the optional boat ride and a local guide if they want one. Bring cash in dirhams, in small notes, because card payment is not something to count on at the falls.
How many monkeys live at Ouzoud?
Nobody has published a current count. The only scientific census, by El Alami and Chait (Revue de primatologie, 2016), followed the Ouzoud troop of Barbary macaques from 2003 to 2008. The group grew from 25 to 40 animals between February 2003 and February 2007, then split in 2007 into two groups of 23 and 13. Any precise number given today for Ouzoud is a guess.
What does Ouzoud mean?
Sources disagree, and none is scholarly. The English Wikipedia says Ouzoud means the act of grinding grain in Berber, but marks this as citation needed. Several travel and tour websites, including a 2017 Geocaching blog post, say it means olive, after the olive trees around the falls. We found no linguistic source for either, so we say the name is traditionally said to refer to grinding grain.
When is the rainbow at Ouzoud?
It depends on the month. Our calculation for the 15th of each month gives the earliest window in November, from about 13:05 to 16:25, and similar early-afternoon windows in December and January. In October and February the window opens around 15:00. From March to September it comes late, from about 16:00 in March and 17:05 in June and July. A real rainbow also needs sunshine on the spray.
What is the hottest month at Ouzoud?
July, with an average high of 35.3 °C at the falls over 1995-2024, just ahead of August at 35.1 °C. August has the warmest nights, with an average low of 19.4 °C. An average July counts 17.8 days at 35 °C or more, and the year about 45 such days. These are our calculations from the Open-Meteo historical weather API (ERA5 reanalysis), not station readings.
What is the coldest month at Ouzoud?
January is the coldest month at the Ouzoud Waterfalls, with an average high of 16.4 °C and an average low of 3.3 °C over 1995-2024, according to our calculation from ERA5 reanalysis data. December and February are close, with lows of 4.8 °C and 4.4 °C. The falls keep flowing in winter because they are fed by a karst spring, and the paths are at their quietest.
