Ourika Valley
- Three landscapes stacked by altitude, from orchards to alpine meadows
- Grey wagtails and redstarts by the river, choughs on the cliffs
- A small population of Barbary macaques in the upper valley
- A table of species with realistic chances of seeing them
- Flash flood and trail tips for nature lovers
The nature of the Ourika Valley is that of a High Atlas river valley stacked in three levels: an irrigated floor of poplars, walnut trees and orchards along the Oued Ourika, dry slopes of juniper and holm oak above the canals, and the high pastures of the Oukaïmeden plateau at about 2,600 m. The river, a tributary of the Tensift, is fed by snow and rain, and the road follows it up to about 1,500 m at Setti Fatma. Birds are the easiest wildlife to see, above all in the two hours after sunrise: grey wagtails, blue rock thrushes, Moussier's redstarts, Levaillant's woodpeckers and choughs. Mammals are shy; the Barbary ground squirrel is the most visible, and a small population of Barbary macaques, estimated at 84 animals in 2013, lives in the upper valley. Spring is the best season for water, blossom and birdsong, autumn for colours.
Our guides grew up with this river. Here is what we show our guests, and what we tell them plainly about the animals they are, and are not, likely to see.
The river at the heart of the valley
Everything here starts with the Oued Ourika. The river rises in the High Atlas, near some of the highest summits of North Africa, and flows north to join the Tensift on the plain of Marrakech. It is fed by snowmelt and rain, so its level changes with the seasons: strong and cold in spring, lower and clearer by late summer.
For people, the river is the source of the seguias, the canals that water the terraces and orchards. For nature, it is a green corridor through dry mountains. Birds follow it, trees line it, and in the hot months it keeps the valley floor several degrees cooler than Marrakech. It is also a river with a temper: summer thunderstorms upstream can turn it brown and violent within minutes, as the valley learned in the flood of 1995.
Three landscapes stacked by altitude
The irrigated valley floor
Along the road, the valley floor is a ribbon of green between red and ochre slopes. Tall poplars line the river and the canals, walnut trees shade the paths, and orchards of apple, cherry, quince, almond and olive fill every terrace that water can reach. Pink and white oleander grows in the riverbed and along the banks. It is beautiful but poisonous: never chew a twig or use one as a skewer for food.
This is where most birds live, and where you will do most of your watching, from the car window, from a riverside restaurant or on a short walk between villages.
The dry slopes: juniper and holm oak
As soon as the water stops, the landscape changes. The slopes above the canals are dry, stony and covered in low scrub, with scattered trees that can survive the long dry summer. The characteristic trees of these High Atlas slopes are junipers and the evergreen holm oak. On the steeper slopes of the upper valley, around Setti Fatma, patches of holm oak woodland remain, and they matter: they shelter animals, hold the soil and slow down the water when storms hit.
The high plateau of Oukaïmeden
Above Aghbalou, a side road climbs to Oukaïmeden, a high plateau at about 2,600 m with a ski resort, alpine meadows and prehistoric rock engravings. In winter it is under snow. In spring and summer the meadows turn green and flower. The pastures are managed as an agdal, a traditional community rule that keeps herds out during the growing season so that plants can flower and set seed before the flocks arrive. It is also one of the best birdwatching spots in Morocco.
The seven waterfalls of Setti Fatma
At the end of the road, above the village of Setti Fatma, a side stream drops through a narrow gorge in a series of seven falls. The spray keeps the rocks cool and mossy even in summer, a good place to watch for wagtails and other birds of fast water. Our guide to the waterfalls covers the route, the difficulty and the safety rules.
When is the best season for nature in the valley?
- Spring (roughly March to May): the best season for nature. Snowmelt fills the river and the falls, fruit trees blossom one after the other (almond first, then cherry and apple), and birds are singing and nesting.
- Summer: the valley stays green and cooler than Marrakech, which makes it busy with Moroccan families. Mornings are best. Afternoon storms can build over the peaks, especially in July and August.
- Autumn: our favourite for colours. Poplars and walnuts turn gold, the walnut and apple harvests begin, and the light is soft and clear.
- Winter: snow on the peaks and sometimes on the upper valley, cold nights, very clear air, and Oukaïmeden under snow when the season is good.
Our weather guide gives a month-by-month view and what to pack.
What wildlife can you see in the Ourika Valley?
Let us be honest from the start: most mammals of the High Atlas are shy, many are active at night, and a day trip is not a safari. Birds are another story. They are everywhere, and with a little patience and an early start you will see plenty.
Birds
Along the river and the streams, grey wagtails bob on the stones, and in the cleanest fast-flowing mountain streams you may find the white-throated dipper, which walks underwater to feed. Blue rock thrushes sit on boulders near the water.
In the orchards, scrub and open slopes, look for Moussier's redstart, a small, bright orange and black bird of North Africa, and listen for Levaillant's woodpecker, a green woodpecker found only in north-west Africa. Barbary partridges run between rocks on stony slopes.
On the cliffs and above the plateau, noisy flocks of red-billed and alpine choughs are common, especially towards Oukaïmeden. The plateau is famous among birders for the crimson-winged finch, a mountain finch rarely found elsewhere in the region. Golden eagles and Bonelli's eagles hunt over the High Atlas, and with great luck you might see a bearded vulture: it is one of the rarest birds in Morocco, with only 4 to 10 breeding units estimated, surviving in a few isolated high massifs of the Atlas.
Mammals
The one you are most likely to see is the Barbary ground squirrel, a striped squirrel of the Atlas that sits upright on warm rocks. Wild boar and red foxes live in the valley and the forests, but they are mostly active at night; you are more likely to see their tracks. The African golden wolf, long mistaken for a jackal, lives in the Atlas too and is rarely seen. Barbary sheep (aoudad) live on remote cliffs of the high mountains around Toubkal and are almost never seen from the valley.
A special case is the Barbary macaque, an endangered monkey better known from the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas. Scientists have studied a small population, estimated at 84 animals in 2013, in the holm oak woodland of the upper Ourika Valley around Setti Fatma, described in a 2017 study in the journal Oryx as the southernmost population of the species. Sightings are rare. If you are lucky, watch from a distance and never feed them.
Reptiles
On the sunny rocks of Oukaïmeden, look for the Atlas day gecko, a small lizard found only in the high mountains of Morocco and active by day even when it is cool.
Species at a glance
| Species | Where | When and how likely |
|---|---|---|
| Grey wagtail | River and streams, Setti Fatma | All year, very likely |
| White-throated dipper | Clean, fast mountain streams | All year, possible with patience |
| Blue rock thrush | Boulders near streams and cliffs | All year, fairly likely |
| Moussier's redstart | Scrub, orchards, road to Oukaïmeden | All year, fairly likely, best in spring |
| Levaillant's woodpecker | Orchards and wooded slopes | All year, often heard, sometimes seen |
| Barbary partridge | Stony slopes | All year, possible, flushes suddenly |
| Red-billed and alpine choughs | Cliffs, Oukaïmeden | All year, likely |
| Crimson-winged finch | Oukaïmeden plateau | Spring and summer, possible |
| Golden eagle, Bonelli's eagle | High ridges | All year, occasional |
| Bearded vulture | Remote high massifs of the Atlas | Very rare |
| Barbary ground squirrel | Dry rocky slopes | Warm months, fairly likely |
| Wild boar, red fox | Valley, forest | Mostly at night, tracks more likely |
| African golden wolf | Open mountain country | Rarely seen |
| Barbary macaque | Holm oak woodland, upper valley | Rare |
| Barbary sheep | Remote high cliffs | Very unlikely from the valley |
| Atlas day gecko | Sunny rocks at Oukaïmeden | Warm season, likely on sunny days |
What time of day is best for birdwatching?
Come early. The first two hours after sunrise are the best for birds, before the heat and before the tour buses. Bring binoculars, walk slowly and stop often: most birds show themselves when you stand still near water or at the edge of an orchard. Quiet side paths between villages are better than the main road. Our trek and lunch with a Berber family follows exactly this kind of path, and staying a night in the valley (see where to stay) lets you be out at dawn.
Enjoying nature responsibly
- Stay on the paths. Terraces and canal banks are someone's field. A broken seguia edge can dry a neighbour's crop.
- Take your litter back. Plastic bottles end up in the river. Carry a bag and bring everything back down.
- Do not feed animals. Not the macaques, not the birds, not the stray dogs at the cafés. Feeding changes their behaviour and their health.
- Keep your distance. No chasing birds for a photo, no approaching nests.
- Respect the river. In summer, walk in the morning. If clouds build over the peaks or the water turns muddy or rises, leave the riverbed at once and follow local advice.
The easiest way to see all this is our Ourika Valley day trip, with the option of a local guide who knows the river and the paths. On a budget, a seat on our shared transport gets you to the valley too. For more ideas, see our list of things to do in the Ourika Valley.
Sources
- Namous et al. (2017), Size and structure of the southernmost population of the Endangered Barbary macaque, Oryx
- MaghrebOrnitho, status of the bearded vulture in Morocco
- JICA, flood warning network of the Ourika and Rheraya river basins, follow-up report (2015)
Frequently asked questions
What animals can you see in the Ourika Valley?
Mostly birds: grey wagtails along the river, Moussier's redstarts and woodpeckers in the orchards and scrub, choughs over the cliffs, sometimes an eagle. Barbary ground squirrels are often seen on dry rocky slopes. Larger mammals such as wild boar, foxes or Barbary sheep live in the mountains but are shy and rarely seen by day.
Are there monkeys in the Ourika Valley?
A small population of Barbary macaques, an endangered species, has been studied by scientists in the forest patches of the upper valley around Setti Fatma. It numbers only a few groups, so seeing them is rare. If you do, keep your distance and never feed them.
When is the best time to see nature in the Ourika Valley?
Spring is the richest season: the snowmelt fills the river and the waterfalls, the orchards blossom and birds are singing and nesting. Autumn brings golden poplars and walnuts and calm, clear days. Winter has snow on the peaks and very clear air. Summer is green in the valley but hot in the afternoon.
Is the Ourika Valley good for birdwatching?
Yes. Birders from abroad often combine the Ourika Valley with the Oukaïmeden plateau in one day, because it offers river, orchard, cliff and high mountain species in a short distance. Come early, bring binoculars and ask your guide to stop where the road is quiet.
Is it safe to walk by the river in the Ourika Valley?
On most days, yes. The danger is a summer thunderstorm upstream, which can raise the river very fast even under a blue sky where you stand. From July to August, walk in the morning, stay away from the riverbed when clouds build over the peaks, and follow local advice.
Do I need a guide to explore nature in the valley?
Not for a walk along the road or in the village, but a local guide makes a real difference on the trails: he knows the paths, the weather signs and where animals are usually seen. For the waterfalls above Setti Fatma and any walk off the main path, we always recommend one.
