Ouzoud Falls Excursion from Marrakech: Rainbow Boat Crossing, Macaques and Olive Groves

At 110 meters, Ouzoud is one of the highest cascades in North Africa, and the way this excursion sees it is by crossing the river at its foot on a local boat. Mist rises where the water lands, and rainbows form in it, which the crossing passes right beside. The falls are about 150 km (93 miles) north of Marrakech. A hotel or riad pickup starts the day, and the drive lasts about two hours before a 15-minute stop for coffee and the toilets at Ouled Khellouf. From there another 45 minutes leads through the Middle Atlas Mountains and the green Tadla plains, which are dotted with olive farms and fruit orchards. A local guide takes visitors on a short trek from the top of the falls to the bottom. The path follows the lip of the falls, then shows the water dropping into a natural amphitheater of red cliffs. Macaque monkeys live freely here, and visitors can watch them closely. Lunch is at one of the restaurants along the path to the falls, at the traveler's own expense. The day ends with a climb up a series of stairs out of the valley and a drop-off at the hotel or riad in Marrakech.