A hundred and ten metres of falling water in the middle of a dry plateau: Ouzoud is the most spectacular day out from Marrakech, and the worst organised. The road is easy, the site is superb, and everything hinges on what time you arrive.
The route: 165 km via Demnate
You leave Marrakech on the N8 heading north-east towards Beni Mellal. Sixty kilometres of fast plain to the Tamelelt junction, then the R208 towards Demnate. At Demnate, kilometre 105, the road climbs onto the Azilal plateau and becomes winding without being difficult. Ouzoud is at kilometre 165.
Two hours forty-five to three hours of driving. The surface is sound throughout; the last twenty kilometres before the site run through villages with poorly marked speed bumps and livestock crossing the road.
There is a second route, via Beni Mellal and then the R304 to Azilal. It is forty kilometres longer with a stretch of motorway. It only makes sense if you are coming from Casablanca or Fez.
Arrive early, or do not come
This is the heart of the matter. Coaches from Marrakech drop their groups between 11 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. For those two hours the viewing platforms are full, there is a queue for the boats in the pool, and the restaurants above turn people away.
Leave Marrakech at 7 a.m., arrive at 10, and you have the place to yourself, morning light striking the fall head-on, and Barbary macaques coming down into the olive trees beside the path. By about 3.30 p.m. the flow reverses and the site empties again, but the waterfall is then in shadow.
Parking and the walk down
Parking is at the village entrance on guarded ground. Expect 20 MAD for the day, payable on return. Touts will offer you a car park "closer in" or a guide as soon as you slow down; the official parking is signposted and adequate, and the village takes five minutes to cross on foot.
From the village, two paths lead down to the foot of the fall:
- The left-hand path, uneven stone steps, about twenty minutes down. The shorter and steeper of the two. The steps are wet and slippery near the bottom.
- The right-hand path, longer and gentler, passing the restaurant terraces. Thirty minutes, less effort on the way back.
Go down on the left, come back up on the right. The climb is the real work: a hundred and ten metres of ascent at midday in summer is no small thing. Carry water, as nothing is sold at the bottom.
What to know once you are there
The boats. Small motorboats take you close to the pool at the foot of the fall, 20 to 30 MAD per person for a few minutes. You will get wet, which is the point.
The monkeys. The Barbary macaques are wild and used to people. Do not feed them — it is forbidden and it is what makes them aggressive. They will open bags left on the ground.
Guides. None is necessary. There is a single path, worn in by use and impossible to miss. If you do take someone along, fix the price first, around 100 MAD for the group.
Water flow. Ouzoud runs all year but not at the same volume. From March to June, after the melt, the fall is full. By September, at the end of the dry summer, it narrows to a few strands. After a storm the water turns brown and the site loses a great deal.
What the day costs
- Fuel: 330 kilometres there and back, about 21 litres of diesel, roughly 230 MAD for a small diesel car.
- Tolls: none on the route via Demnate.
- Parking: 20 MAD.
- Boat: 20 to 30 MAD per person, optional.
- Lunch: 80 to 150 MAD per person at the terrace restaurants above the fall.
A day for two therefore comes to around 500 MAD all in, excluding the car hire. That is well below the organised excursion, and you leave at the hour you choose — which at Ouzoud makes all the difference.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Marrakech to the Ouzoud falls?
2 h 45 to 3 h for 165 kilometres, on the N8 then the R208 via Demnate. There is no toll on this route.
What time should you arrive at the Ouzoud falls?
Before 10.30 a.m. or after 3.30 p.m. Organised coaches drop their groups between 11 a.m. and 12.30 p.m., and the site is saturated during that window.
Is the descent to the falls difficult?
The way down takes twenty to thirty minutes depending on the path. The return is harder: a hundred and ten metres of ascent. Closed shoes and water are necessary, especially in summer.
Can Ouzoud be visited in a day from Marrakech?
Yes, and that is the usual arrangement. Six hours of driving there and back, four to five hours on site. Leaving at 7 a.m. gets you in ahead of the groups and home by late afternoon.
Do you need a 4x4 to reach Ouzoud?
No. The road is surfaced all the way to Ouzoud village. Just watch for poorly marked speed bumps over the last twenty kilometres.
Leaving early is the whole point of having a car
Ouzoud is the clearest example of what a car buys you: leaving at 7 instead of 8.30, missing the groups, and coming back when you decide. Take a car for the day — several models rent from 24 hours, which is enough for this trip.
If you want another day trip in the same spirit, the Ourika valley is half the distance and just as green. On choosing a vehicle for these mountain roads, see which car to choose for the Atlas, and for rental conditions, the complete guide to renting in Marrakech.