A Forest Most Visitors Don't Expect
The road from Fes toward the Sahara climbs into the Middle Atlas through Ifrane and Azrou, a stretch of Morocco that surprises many first-time visitors — snow-capped in winter, alpine in feel, and blanketed in dense cedar forest that feels a world away from the medinas and dunes most people picture. This is Morocco's cedar country, home to some of the oldest and largest Atlas cedar trees left standing, and to a resident population of wild Barbary macaques that live among them.
Barbary Macaques in the Wild
Barbary macaques are the only wild monkey species native to North Africa, and the Middle Atlas cedar forests around Azrou and Ifrane hold one of their largest remaining populations — most of the species' wild range today. They're relatively easy to spot along the forest roads and picnic areas near Azrou, where troops move through the branches and forest floor largely unbothered by passing cars and visitors, foraging for acorns, roots, and whatever else the forest floor offers.
An Endangered Species
Despite how approachable they can seem, Barbary macaques are classified as an endangered species, with populations under pressure from habitat loss and, in some areas, from the same tourist interactions that draw visitors to see them — feeding and handling can encourage aggressive, food-seeking behavior and disrupt their natural diet. Most conservation guidance is simple: observe from a respectful distance, don't feed them, and don't attempt to touch them, letting the troops go about their day as visitors watch rather than intervene.
Azrou Town and the Cedar Gouraud
The town of Azrou itself is a small, unhurried market town known for its wood-carving craftsmanship and Wednesday souk. Just outside town, a section of forest sometimes called the Cedre Gouraud is home to some of the largest and oldest trees in the area, and is one of the more reliable spots for encountering the macaques, alongside the roadside picnic areas that dot the forest closer to Ifrane.
Where This Fits on a Route
Azrou sits directly on the main road between Fes and the Sahara Desert (Merzouga), roughly an hour to ninety minutes outside Fes, which means it requires no separate detour — most itineraries that head south from Fes pass through or near it already. A short stop to walk into the cedar forest and look for the macaques is an easy, low-effort addition to a longer day already spent driving toward the dunes.