Cedar Forest Walk & Barbary Macaques

Walking into the cedar forests around Azrou is the essential nature experience of the Middle Atlas. The most familiar excursion is toward Cèdre Gouraud Forest, where tall Atlas cedars, cool mountain air, and roadside clearings create one of Morocco's most accessible forest landscapes. Visitors often come hoping to see Barbary macaques, which are associated with this area and are frequently encountered near the main forest routes. The experience can be simple and self-guided if you have transport, but local guides and organized day trips from Fes or Ifrane can add context about the forest, wildlife, and surrounding mountain villages. Travelers should avoid feeding the macaques, keep food secured, and treat the forest as a protected natural environment rather than a roadside attraction.