Ain Leuh Waterfalls

Ain Leuh is a village of the Beni Mguild in the cedar forest of the Middle Atlas, built on a slope with a spring that gives it its name, and below the houses the water drops through a series of cascades into a wooded gorge - not high, but steady, and green in a landscape that is mostly dry by midsummer. The walk down from the village takes fifteen minutes and there are pools at the bottom that people swim in. Spring, when the snowmelt is coming off the cedars above, is when they run properly. The other reason to stop is the weaving: Ain Leuh has a long-standing women's cooperative producing Beni Mguild carpets and blankets in wool from the surrounding flocks, working on upright looms in a workshop in the village, and buying from them directly is straightforward and is the point of the cooperative. The Tuesday souk brings the district in.

What you actually see

• Cascades below the village - a short walk down into a wooded gorge with pools.
• Spring flow - snowmelt from the cedars making the falls worth the trip.
• A weaving cooperative - women working upright looms on Beni Mguild wool carpets.
• The Tuesday souk - the district's market day in the village.

When to go

March to June, when the water is running. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The falls are modest and can be nearly dry by late summer. The path down is rough and slippery. Facilities in the village are minimal. Cooperative opening depends on who is working that day.

Nearby

Azrou and the cedar forest are north; Khenifra is south-west.