This week, join Dustin Davis on his trip to the waterfalls of Ouzoud!
On our way to Meknès from Casablanca, we went around the Atlas Mountains in order to make a few scenic stops. One of those stops was at the Waterfalls of Ouzoud, outside the small town of Tanaghmeilt. The area surrounding the waterfall is dry and hilly, making the falls about as close to an oasis as you can get this far from the desert.
Once we got off the bus in town, it was only a short walk to the viewing area where we took lots of nice pictures. From there, my friend Tyler and I climbed up the side of the falls to get a view from behind the water! The way up was slippery and steep, but well worth the effort. Waiting for us at the top where tons of rainbows and a view of the river valley that few get to experience.
Shortly after we got up, it was time to head back down to the pools for a swim. Les Cascades d’Ouzoude, or The Waterfalls of Ouzoud, are the tallest in Morocco. They are over 360 feet tall, which is almost twice as tall as Niagara Falls! The falling water has created lots of pools at the bottom that are deep enough to swim in. Tourists come from all over Morocco to do just that.
Because the waters of Ouzoud come from deep underground, they are clean and clear. In the heat of summer, they get warm, too, so this is the perfect place for a swim. After looking all over for a place to change into my bathing suit, I finally got to dive in. The water was a great relief from the summer heat that day, and I had a blast with my friends. In the pool we were in, there was a little island of rock underneath a small waterfall. We could swim out to it and walk under the waterfall to a shelf behind the wall of water. Standing under the waterfall felt a lot like getting a massage. It was definitely the most refreshing experience of my life!
Traveler Bio: Dustin is a Western Washington University student and a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship recipient on a study abroad scholarship abroad in Meknès, Morocco.