Map of the Ouzoud Waterfalls: paths, viewpoints, car parks and the walk down

• Original map drawn from OpenStreetMap data: paths, steps, river, car parks, viewpoints
• Village and car parks at the top, on the south side of the gorge
• About 20 minutes down to the foot of the falls, slower back up
• Loop on both banks: about 3.5 km and about 1 hour (AllTrails)
• Three walking routes, from a flat rim walk to the full loop
• GPS: 32.0152 N, 6.7189 W, Azilal Province

The Ouzoud Waterfalls site fits on one small map. The village and its car parks are at the top, on the south side of the gorge. The river crosses the plateau from the east, drops 110 m in three tiers, and leaves towards the north-west. Viewpoints line the rim within about 300 m of the falls, and a paved path with terrace cafés goes down to the foot of the falls in about 20 minutes. Below, we show our own map of the site, explain how to read it, and describe three walking routes, from a flat walk along the rim to the loop on both banks.

We drew this map because the maps travellers usually find are either a single pin on a phone app or a hand-drawn sketch on a café wall. Neither tells you where you will be dropped, how far the falls are from the car, or which path goes where. Ours is drawn from OpenStreetMap data, the open map built by contributors around the world, extracted in October 2026.

How do you read the map of the Ouzoud Waterfalls?

North is at the top, as shown by the arrow. The bar at the bottom left measures 100 m, which gives you a sense of how compact the site is: almost everything a visitor needs lies within a square of about 1 km.

The symbols, from the legend:

• Blue line: the river, the Oued Ouzoud, also called the Oued Tissakht. OpenStreetMap names it Oued Tissakht.
• Drop shapes: waterfall points. The data marks eight of them: four close together at the main falls, which correspond to the tiers and the lip, and others further down the gorge.
• Triangles: viewpoints. There are seven.
• Squares with a P: car parks. There are five.
• Small dots: restaurants and cafés, about a dozen inside the map frame.
• Small squares: hotels, guesthouses and campsites.
• Thin dashed lines: footpaths. Thicker hatched lines: steps. Grey lines: roads and tracks, with the regional road drawn wider.

Two warnings before you use it on the ground. First, a map drawn from open data is only as complete as the data. Some paths may be missing, some cafés have opened or closed since they were mapped, and OpenStreetMap tags only a few short sections as steps, while on the ground the path down has many more. Second, the map is flat: it does not show height. The falls drop 110 m, so two points that look close on the map can be separated by a steep climb. That is why we give straight-line distances as "about", and walking times from what visitors actually take.

What does the Ouzoud Waterfalls site look like, in one paragraph?

The falls sit at about 1,060 m above sea level, in Azilal Province, in the central High Atlas. The river crosses a plateau of olive groves and small fields from the east, runs past the village, and reaches the edge of a limestone cliff. There it drops 110 m in three tiers into a gorge that leads to the Oued El Abid. Below the main falls, the river carries on west then north-west, and the data marks smaller cascades about 500 m downstream in a straight line. The village, with its car parks, grand taxi stand, cafés and guesthouses, spreads along the top of the south side. Footpaths leave the village, follow the rim, then zigzag down to the pool at the foot of the falls. Other paths climb the opposite slope to the north side, where there are more viewpoints, a few campsites and one car park reached by the road that crosses the river upstream. The whole site is classified as a geosite of the M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark.

Which walking routes can you follow at Ouzoud?

We suggest three routes, depending on your time, your legs and the heat. All three start where the vehicles stop, at the top on the village side.

Route 1: the rim viewpoints only (about 30 to 45 minutes, nearly flat)

This is the route for anyone who does not want to go down into the gorge.

1. Leave the car park and walk north through the village towards the edge of the gorge. From the central car park, the lip of the falls is only about 150 m away in a straight line.
2. Reach the first viewpoints, right by the top of the falls. Two are mapped within about 40 m of the lip: you look down on the water as it goes over the edge.
3. Follow the rim path west along the south side. Further viewpoints are mapped about 120 m and about 225 m west of the lip, each giving a wider angle on the three tiers.
4. Stop for a mint tea on a terrace overlooking the gorge, then walk back the same way.

The paths at the top have gentle slopes and a few steps, nothing like the descent. This route is the easier option for older travellers, people with knee trouble and families with very young children.

Route 2: down to the foot of the falls and back (about 20 minutes down)

This is the classic visit and the one most travellers make.

1. From the village, take the main paved path that heads down towards the falls. Stalls and terrace cafés line it from the start.
2. Walk down the zigzags. The path mixes paved slopes and steps; take your time where it is wet.
3. After about 20 minutes, you reach the pool at the foot of the falls, about 180 m in a straight line from the lip, but well over 100 m lower.
4. Look up at the falls, take the boat if you wish, and have a drink or lunch on a terrace by the water.
5. Climb back up the same path. Allow more time than for the descent, with breaks in the shade.

Route 3: the loop on both banks (about 1 hour, about 3.5 km)

This is our favourite way to see the falls from every side. AllTrails lists the loop at about 3.5 km and about 1 hour of walking.

1. Go down the main path as in Route 2 to the foot of the falls.
2. Cross the river near the pool to the north side. Follow the signs or your guide: the crossing point can change with the water level.
3. Climb the path on the north slope. On the way, a mapped viewpoint with a bench sits about 270 m north-west of the lip, looking straight back at the three tiers.
4. Continue up along the north side. You pass more viewpoints and terraces facing the falls.
5. Return to the village side by the upper paths. Depending on the path you take, you cross the river upstream of the falls, near the top.
6. Finish back at the car park. With photo stops and a drink, the loop easily fills 1 h 30 to 2 hours.

Where are the car parks, and where do tours and drivers drop you?

OpenStreetMap shows five car parks at Ouzoud:

The grand taxi stand is also on the south side, about 330 m from the falls, close to the regional road. Attendants usually ask a small parking fee. At busy times, especially summer weekends and public holidays, the central car parks fill up and vehicles park further back along the road.

On a day trip, you arrive by the regional road from the south and stop at the top, on the village side. That is where our drivers drop you and where they wait. You never need to drive down into the gorge, and in fact you cannot: the path to the foot of the falls is for walkers only.

Where are the viewpoints, and what do you see from each?

The seven mapped viewpoints are all within about 300 m of the lip of the falls. Here is how they group on the map:

• At the top of the falls, village side: two viewpoints within about 40 m of the lip. You look down on the water going over the edge and into the first tier. These are the quickest to reach from the car parks.
• Along the south rim, heading west: viewpoints about 80 m, 120 m and 225 m from the lip. As you move west, you see more of the drop and the pool below. The panorama in our video below was filmed from the top.
• Across the gorge, north side: a viewpoint about 190 m north-west of the lip, and another about 270 m north-west with a bench. These face the falls and show the three tiers together, which is the view on most postcards.

Light matters for photos. The water drops towards the west, so the face of the falls tends to be in shade in the morning and better lit as the sun moves round in the afternoon. Rainbows appear over the pool when the sun catches the spray.

What is at the foot of the falls?

The foot of the falls is the busy heart of the site. A pool collects the water from the last tier, with spray drifting across it. Small boats take visitors across the pool towards the falling water for a few minutes. Terraces with tables line the banks, with restaurants serving tajines and drinks. In summer, people swim in the pools at the foot of the falls and further downstream; we found no official rule on swimming, so use your judgement and stay away from the falling water.

From the foot, the path continues across the river towards the north side for those doing the loop.

What facilities are there: toilets, restaurants, cash?

• Toilets: three are mapped. Two are near the car parks on the village side, about 210 m and 260 m from the falls. The third is down in the gorge, near the lower cascades, about 235 m north-west of the lip. Cafés and restaurants also have toilets for their customers.
• Restaurants and cafés: about a dozen are mapped inside the frame, clustered in the village near the top and along the path down, with more terraces by the pool. Expect tajines, grilled dishes, salads, fresh orange juice and mint tea.
• Information: a tourist information point is mapped close to the lip of the falls.
• Places to stay: the map shows hotels, a guesthouse, a hostel and campsites within the frame, and more further south. We do not recommend any by name; our page on where to stay at Ouzoud explains the options.
• Cash: bring dirhams in small notes. Parking, the boat, cafés and small purchases are usually paid in cash, and you should not count on finding a cash machine on site.

Is the Ouzoud site accessible?

We prefer to be honest here. The rim viewpoints on the village side are the easiest part of the visit: short distances from the car parks, gentle slopes and a few steps. Most people with limited mobility can enjoy the falls from there.

The walk down is another matter. The path to the foot of the falls has steps and slopes the whole way, uneven sections and, near the pool, wet ground. Pushchairs are hard on the way down and harder on the way up; a baby carrier works much better. The loop on both banks adds climbs on the north side. For wheelchair users, the visit is realistically limited to the top. If anyone in your group has difficulty walking, tell us when you book and we will plan the visit around the rim.

What should you watch out for on the paths?

• Wet rock near the spray: the ground near the foot of the falls and by the pool is often wet and slippery. Walk slowly, and keep children by the hand.
• Edges: the viewpoints at the top look over a drop of up to 110 m, and not every edge has a barrier. Stay on the paths and behind any railings, and do not climb onto rocks for a photo.
• After rain: paths become muddy and slippery, the water can turn red-brown, and the flow can be strong. Shoes with good grip are essential, and swimming is a bad idea.
• Heat: in July and August, the climb back up in the midday sun is tiring. Carry water and go down early.

Will you meet the macaques along the paths?

Very likely. A free-living troop of Barbary macaques lives around the falls, and the animals often sit on walls and trees along the paths, especially on the slopes and near the viewpoints. They are used to people. Please do not feed them: research at Ouzoud links feeding by tourists to more aggression and to the troop splitting. Watch them from a few metres, keep food out of sight, and keep children at a distance. Our page on the Ouzoud macaques explains how to see them responsibly.

How do you find Ouzoud on a map?

The falls are at about 32.0152 N, 6.7189 W (Wikidata), in Azilal Province, region of Béni Mellal-Khénifra. On a map of Morocco, look north-east of Marrakech, beyond the plain, on the edge of the central High Atlas. By road, that is about 150 to 160 km and about 3 hours from Marrakech, and about 38 km from the town of Azilal. The drive follows the N8 towards Fès, then regional roads through Azilal Province to the R304, which ends at the village.

Several pins for the same falls exist on mapping apps. If you drive yourself, set your destination on the village car parks rather than on the falls, which sit in the gorge. Our page on distances from each city gives road distances and times from Marrakech and the other main cities.

How does our tour use this map?

On our private Ouzoud tour with a local guide, the driver picks you up in Marrakech and drops you at the top, on the village side, where the car parks are on the map. A local guide then walks with you along the routes above, at your pace: the rim viewpoints, the path down to the foot of the falls, and the loop on both banks if you want it. The guide knows where the crossings are on the day, where the macaques usually sit and which terraces are quieter, and people offering their services leave you alone. You spend about 3 to 4 hours at the falls, then the driver takes you back to Marrakech. If you would rather explore on your own, private transport with a driver gets you there and back, and our private Ouzoud tour page lists everything included.

Our prices are per vehicle for your whole group:

The boat ride (5 € per person) and lunch (30 € per person) are options. Booking is instant online with a 50% deposit, and the balance is paid in cash to the driver on the day. With transport only, the driver is a driver, not a guide: this map and the routes on this page will help you find your way alone. Our full Ouzoud travel guide covers everything else, from seasons to what to bring.

Sources

• OpenStreetMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Overpass API extract of 23 October 2026: paths, steps, roads, river, waterfalls, viewpoints, car parks, toilets, restaurants and accommodation
• Wikidata, Ouzoud Falls (Q38212): coordinates, altitude, height
• AllTrails, trails in Morocco: Ouzoud Waterfalls loop, about 3.5 km, about 1 hour
• Wikipedia, Ouzoud Falls (Azilal Province, 110 m, distance from Marrakech)
• Wikipedia, Cascades d'Ouzoud (three tiers, altitude, swimming; in French)
• Lonely Planet, Cascades d'Ouzoud (paved path, terrace cafés)
• Journal of Nomads, Ouzoud Waterfalls (free entry, walking time)
• M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark, geosites
• El Alami and Chait, Revue de primatologie 7 (2016), the Barbary macaques of Ouzoud