Cascades D'Ouzoud

A couple of hours drive out of Marrakesh is a place I've always wanted to go - the Cascades D'Ouzoud, a spectacular waterfall that is also home to Barbary apes.

The drive there was stunning with a back drop of the High Atlas Mountains with their jagged cap of snow. In front were fields of bright green sprouting barley, groves of olive trees and some palm trees, often bordered with concrete irrigation channels.

On the road it meant dodging carts transporting people and goods from place to place, mules with grass laden baskets on either side of their bodies and a smattering of cars of all types and vintages. A very pleasant drive in the sunshine.

Heading up to the first lookout that looked over the falls, soon the crowd grew as the Barbary apes scampered around, no doubt clustering in the hope of food. All I tried was to get photos of them but often they were to quick for me. This is a photo of one I took later indulging on a fresh olive feast on the edge of the olive groves.


The falls themselves were spectacular: three cascading torrents tumbling onto rocks two-thirds of the way down and then spraying into a curtain of water. The gorge created is tall and I especially liked the golden coloured tree on the top of the falls. Its autumn colour a contrast to the blue sky, white water and red rocks. I walked to the bottom of the falls, past souvenir shops and small cafes many of which were closed due to it being the off season.


Down the bottom were a couple of boats if you wanted to cross the water at the bottom of the falls as the water level was high and rock hopping was not an option. Mind you much of the track on the other side was washed away.

Then went for a walk around the top of the falls, first up to a local village then around the other side, through the olive groves to the edge of the falls where the Barbary apes congregated and the view of the falls wasn't that spectacular. It was also a chance to see some local life such as the ploughing below.