Experience the best of Beni Mellal-Khénifra

Beni Mellal-Khénifra is an inland region of central Morocco that runs from the farmland of the Tadla plain up into the Middle Atlas and the High Atlas. Its capital, Beni Mellal, stands at the foot of the mountains, with the spring of Aïn Asserdoun and an old kasbah, and orchards of olives and citrus fruit spread across the plain. Khénifra, in the Middle Atlas, is a town of the Zayane Berbers on the Oum Er-Rbia river.

The Ouzoud waterfalls, which drop more than 100 metres through red rock into a gorge where Barbary macaques live, are the best known of the sights. Bin el Ouidane, a large reservoir among the foothills of the High Atlas, is popular for boating and fishing, and Mount M'Goun, over 4,000 metres, is one of the higher summits of the High Atlas. Near Khénifra, the lake of Aguelmam Azigza lies in cedar and oak forest.

Berber cooking in the region includes tagines, couscous on Fridays, grilled lamb and bread baked in village ovens, with honey, walnuts, olives and oranges sold in the markets. Summers on the plains are very hot, while the mountains stay cooler, and winters bring snow to the Atlas. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with full waterfalls and green hills in spring.