Hiking Akchour falls in Morocco – A complete guide

After being away from home for a little over two years, I visited Morocco last April during the most beautiful season of the year!

I did some research prior to my visit and the internet was all about Akchour Waterfalls. So, I decided to go for a one day hiking trip to discover this hidden paradise.

In this article, you will find everything you need to know for a succesful self guided day hike to Akchour waterfalls.

How to get there?

From the city center of Chefchaoeun you can catch a Grand Taxi: these are the type of taxis that can drive outside the city. You will have to wait for the Taxi driver to fill all spots (Usually 6), so be ready to be matched with random people and to make new friends. The ride costs less than $4 each way and it only took 45 minutes to get there.

Distance from Chefchaouen: 45 minutes

Taxi Cost: less than $8 both ways

The drive though the Riff mountains was breathtaking and I couldn’t believe that I lived in this country for 20 years without being able to enjoy its northern treasures.

The trailhead

At the trail head, you have the option to hire a guide or hike on your own. I personally didn’t find it to be the type of hike that really requires a guide. We were a group of 5 women who all met at the trailhead and we decided to go without a guide. Less than a mile in, we met a guide who was accompanying a family and he asked us to tag along for free (We gave him soe tip afterwards).

If you didn’t pack your water and snacks, there a few shops to purchase from at the trail head and throughout the way.

The Dam is the start point. There are two trails:

• The trail to the falls on the left side of the Dam after crossing the bridge over the river.
• The trail to the Bridge of God on the right side of the dam before the bridge

Hiking to the waterfalls

The Cascades of  Akchour consist of a lower waterfall on the order of about 20 meters and a taller upper waterfall on the order of 100 meters.

It takes about 2 hours to reach the upper one.

On your way, expect some water crossing and of course some wild life. I was hoping to see some monkeys as they are usually all around the area according to the guide, but I saw none; however, there were a lot of pretty wild flowers.

All the way through, there are stands from which you can purchase, water, snacks, drinks, and most importantly fresh squeezed orange juice, the tastiest ever!!

The closer you are to the waterfall the colder it gets, so make sure you have the appropriate clothing! Also, if you are planning to get close to the water and don’t want to get wet a rain poncho is probably not a bad idea.

Once we arrived to the upper waterfall , we got hit by an amazing smell of homemade Tajine dishes and homemade bread. Three of us took a moment to eat lunch, we ordered a chicken veggies Tajine that comes usually with bread and we ordered mint tea! I am not exaggerating but it is honestly the best tea I have ever had: The right amount of mint and the right degree of sweetness.

Outdoor restaurant next to the upper waterfalls with seats by the water

This tea has a tasty addition, wild orange baby flowers

Hiking to the Bridge of God  

Once back ath the trailhead from were we started, we  started heading to the top of the Bridge of God. While the distance was shorter, the elevation gain was much higher, but we all made it to the top before the sunset. The Bridge of God is just a bridge, naturally formed in the shape of a big rock.

It takes less than an hour to make it to the top of the rock, so account for 2 hours out and back. It might seem long to do in one day but I promise, IT IS WORTH IT!

We finished our hike, bought some souvenirs from some stands at the trailhead while waiting for a Taxi to take us back to Chefchaouen city. We wanted to regroup after taking a shower and changing but it was impossible as we were all extremely exhausted from a long adventurous hike in the heart of the mountains.

Mountain Goats

Plan on leaving at a reasonable time, preferably before the sunset to make sure you find  a taxi ride back to the city. Worst case scenario, there are few lodges/hotels in the area if you are planning on spending the night there!!

What to pack for the hike?

As always, it depends on the time of the year, bu the go to list will aboslutely include the following:

• A day pack
• Water
• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Salty snacks
• Good hiking shoes
• Water shoes/sandals if you are planning on soaking your feet in the water
• Cash as you can purchase lunch drinks, food on the trail
• A rain jacket/Rain poncho: The closer you are to the waterfall the mistier it is
• Trekking poles

What to see in Chefchaouen?

If you are looking for other activities to enjoy in the Blue City of Morocco, here is a link that I think you will find helpful.

The blue city of Morocco “Chefchaouen”