Few travellers know it: an hour and a quarter from Marrakech, you can ski. Oukaimeden, at about 2,600 metres in the High Atlas, is Morocco’s main ski resort and one of the highest in Africa. But reducing Oukaimeden to snow would be a shame: the plateau is also a prehistoric rock art site, a summer pasture for Berber shepherds and an excellent starting point for walks when Marrakech is sweltering. Here is how to get there, what to do depending on the season and how to combine the day with the Ourika Valley.
Where Oukaimeden is
The resort is about 75 kilometres south of Marrakech. You first take the Ourika road, through the villages and orchards of the plain, then, shortly after Arhbalou, a mountain road that climbs in hairpins for around twenty kilometres up to the plateau. Allow an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half without stops.
The climb is part of the day: the view opens over the Ourika Valley, earthen villages clinging to the slopes and, on clear days, the Marrakech plain. On the plateau the air is crisp and the temperature is often ten degrees lower than in the city.
In winter: skiing in Morocco
When the snow is there, usually between January and March, Oukaimeden becomes the playground of families from Marrakech and Casablanca. A chairlift climbs towards the ridges, above 3,000 metres, and a few drag lifts serve the gentle slopes for beginners.
It is worth being clear about what you are coming for. The lifts are old, snow cover varies a lot from year to year, and some seasons only have a few weeks of snow. This is not an Alpine resort, and that is exactly what gives it its character:
- Rental on site: skis, boots and sledges are hired at the foot of the slopes from small stalls.
- Donkey ski lifts: muleteers offer to carry skiers and sledges up the slopes on donkeys, a sight you will only see here.
- Sledging is the children’s favourite, even if nobody skis.
In spring and summer: walking and pastures
From April to October the plateau looks completely different. The meadows turn green, the shepherds bring their flocks up under an ancestral system of communal grazing called agdal, and the paths lend themselves to fine walks towards the ridges. On clear days you can see the Toubkal massif.
It is an excellent escape in summer, when Marrakech goes above 40 degrees: it is cool, the air is dry and you can walk in the middle of the day. Experienced hikers can also link Oukaimeden to Imlil over the passes, in a long day with a mountain guide.
The rock engravings
Oukaimeden is one of the main rock art sites of the High Atlas. On the sandstone slabs around the plateau there are several hundred engravings, many dating from the Bronze Age: daggers, axes, animals, circles and human figures. They are not all easy to find on your own, and some are worn. A local guide will take you to the best ones in an hour or two of easy walking.
Please never walk on the engraved slabs or wet them to photograph them: this heritage is fragile and poorly protected.
Oukaimeden or another valley?
| Oukaimeden | Ourika | Imlil | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altitude | About 2,600 m | About 1,000 to 1,500 m | About 1,750 m |
| Atmosphere | Open plateau, high mountains | River, cafés, waterfalls | Villages, hiking |
| Best season | Winter for snow, summer for cool air | Spring and autumn | Spring and autumn |
| For whom | Skiers, families, walkers | A first taste of the Atlas | Hikers |
To compare further, our guides to the Ourika Valley day trip and hiking in Imlil describe those two days in detail.
Combining Oukaimeden and the Ourika Valley
The Oukaimeden road branches off the Ourika road, so the two are easy to combine. A typical day: leave Marrakech around 8.30 am, reach Oukaimeden mid-morning for the snow or a walk, come back down around midday, have lunch by the river in the Ourika Valley, then take a short walk towards the Setti Fatma waterfalls if time allows, and return in the late afternoon.
What to bring
- Warm clothes, even in spring: it can be close to freezing in the morning on the plateau.
- Sunglasses and sunscreen: the glare off the snow is strong at this altitude.
- Walking shoes, or waterproof boots in winter.
- Cash for equipment hire, the donkeys and the local guide.
When to go
For snow, aim for January to March and check the snow cover a few days before. For walking and cool air, May to October. In autumn the light is beautiful and the plateau almost empty. Our month-by-month guide helps you choose the dates for your whole trip.
Booking
Oukaimeden is done in a private vehicle, with a driver who knows the mountain road and adapts the plan to the weather. We arrange it on request, on its own or combined with Ourika: hiring a private driver for the day is the most flexible option, and our Ourika Valley day trip can be extended up to the plateau. For a stay in a guesthouse or inn in the Atlas, the private transfer from Marrakech to Ourika or Imlil drops you at the door. Write to us from the contact page for a quote.
