Ouzoud

Some 93 miles east from the buzzing bazaars of Marrakesh, the Ouzoud Falls are a hidden jewel in the clefts of the Middle Atlas chain. Like a long-lost Shangri-La, they tumble in several tiers over the muddy bluffs of the mountains, dropping a total of 110 meters into the oases of olive trees and citrus boughs below to carve out their own little wadi in the midst of the Moroccan Maghreb.

The place is popular with day trippers out of Marrakesh, but also draws hikers and outdoorsy types with its promise of rugged Atlas scenery. The trek to the top of the falls reveals sweeping panoramas of the region and its patchwork of fruit orchards and rustic farms, while barge trips along the muddy waterways that run beneath the cataracts are perhaps the best way to appreciate their sheer splendour. More than that, Ouzoud tour guides can show you the charm of an authentic region of Morocco. It is a place where timeless Berber villages mingle with green-and-brown gorges, where adobe towns lurk beneath scrub mountains, and where the tagines are packed with taste-bud-tingling spices.