Oasiria Water Park

Oasiria sits on the Amizmiz road a short drive out of Marrakech and is the largest water park in the area, built around a wave pool, a set of slides of varying nerve, a lazy river and a separate themed area for small children. The grounds are planted with palms and lawns and there is a decent amount of shade, which matters in a city that regularly passes forty degrees in summer. A shuttle bus runs from central Marrakech. It is a straightforward day out rather than anything cultural, and it is what a lot of families with children do on the day the medina defeats them.

What you actually see

• The wave pool - the main basin with scheduled wave sessions.
• The slide complex - a set of slides from gentle to steep.
• The children's area - shallow pools and a themed play structure.
• The shaded lawns - planted grounds with palms and loungers.

When to go

The park runs through the warm months and is at its best from May to September, which is also when Marrakech is hottest. Weekdays are calmer than weekends and Moroccan holidays. Arrive at opening to claim shade, since the loungers under the trees go first. Check the closing dates in the shoulder season before travelling out.

Honest expectations

Entry is not cheap and food, lockers and towels are charged on top. On hot weekends it is crowded, the queues at the main slides are long, and the water gets busy enough to be unpleasant. Standards of cleanliness vary through the day. The shuttle timetable is limited, so many people end up paying for taxis both ways.

Nearby

Marrakech and the medina are fifteen minutes back towards the city, and the Agafay hills lie further along the same road.