Great Waterfall
A turquoise pool below.
Jodal rachid — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jodal rachid — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mahraz mohamed — CC BY-SA 4.0 · IHSSANE — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yannaikashtan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nabilchatt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Issamelm — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Medakif — CC BY-SA 4.0
A green mountain valley in Talassemtane National Park, about thirty kilometres from Chefchaouen, famous for its waterfalls and clear turquoise pools among rocks and forest. The park was created in 2004, covering nearly six hundred square kilometres, to protect Morocco's last threatened fir forests. From the village of Akchour two main trails follow the river: one to the Great Waterfall, which drops from a high cliff into a wide pool, and one to God's Bridge, a huge natural rock arch spanning the river in a deep gorge. Each takes about an hour or more on foot one way. Along the trails are simple cafés and small restaurants serving tea and tagine, and pools where visitors swim in cold water in summer. It gets busy at weekends and in summer. Entry is free; it is about an hour from Chefchaouen by grand taxi or private car. The trails are rocky and sometimes slippery, so wear proper shoes, and avoid the valley during heavy rain, when the water rises.
A turquoise pool below.
An arch over the gorge.
Cold mountain water.
Talassemtane National Park, about 30 kilometres north-east of Chefchaouen
The Great Waterfall trail is better known and best for swimming; the God's Bridge trail is a little shorter and leads to the rock arch; fit walkers do both in a day.