Barrage Youssef Ben Tachfine

The Youssef Ben Tachfine Dam (1972), located 15km from Aoulouz in Taroudant Province, creates a breathtaking turquoise oasis against Morocco's arid Anti-Atlas mountains, where its 3km-long, 133m-high structure not only provides vital irrigation but also offers visitors dramatic desert-meets-water photography opportunities, migratory birdwatching (including flamingos in season), and serene picnics along its mountain-framed shores (swimming prohibited), serving as a picturesque stopover between Taroudant's palm groves and Tata's desert routes in southern Morocco's less-traveled regions.