Blue-green water
A deep karst lake ringed by cedars.
Mounir Neddi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diyae Eddine mahdaoui — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Akhercham — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Raphaëlle Gagnon-Durand — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Horizonus — CC BY-SA 4.0
Aguelmam Azigza is a natural lake about 1,500 metres up in the western Middle Atlas, inside Khenifra National Park. Some 1.6 km long and over 25 metres deep, it fills a closed karst hollow among limestone hills and is fed by springs. Its Amazigh name means green lake, and its blue-green water is framed by dense forest of Atlas cedar and holm oak. The shores are collective tribal pasture, still grazed by local flocks. Listed in the 1940s among Morocco's protected picturesque landscapes, the site was closed to building, with only Amazigh tents allowed. Since 2008 the lake and its forests, home to Barbary macaques, have belonged to Khenifra National Park; works begun in 2020 repaired the access roads and, by 2021, added wooden kiosks shaped like Amazigh tents. Most visitors come to stroll the shore, sit under the cedars and watch the light change on the water. The lake holds carp, pike and other fish, though few water birds. Summer is busiest; in winter snow often covers the hills, and the lake has hosted an international cold-water swimming meet. The lake lies about 20 km east of Khenifra and 70 km south-south-west of Ifrane as the crow flies. From Ifrane the road runs about 100 km via Azrou, Aïn Leuh and the Oum Er-Rbia springs, which it passes 22 km before the lake; allow two hours or more each way. Pair it with the Cèdre Gouraud forest between Azrou and Ifrane for a full day, and expect snow to slow the mountain roads in winter.
A deep karst lake ringed by cedars.
Home to Barbary macaques.
Common from December to February.
Aguelmam Azigza commune, Khenifra National Park, Khenifra Province
Late spring to early autumn suits walks along the shore, and summer is the busiest season. From December to February the park often lies under snow, so check road conditions before driving up.
Ice Swim Morocco, an international cold-water meet held on the lake every winter from at least 2022 to 2026, mostly in late January; the December 2026 edition is listed at Aguelmam Sidi Ali lake instead. Its sixth edition in 2023, run by a Moroccan association with the Royal Moroccan Swimming Federation, was announced with about 120 swimmers from 14 countries, in races from 50 m to a mile.