The Oukaimeden ski area sits on a plateau in the High Atlas, 74 km south of Marrakech by a winding mountain road. It is Africa's highest ski resort, operating from roughly December through March when the snowfield is reliable. The runs are not long — the terrain suits intermediate skiers more than experts — but the setting is extraordinary: Atlas peaks in every direction, a Moroccan mountain village below the lifts, and no other resort in Africa at this altitude.
Ski and snowboard equipment is available to rent at the base. Instructors can be arranged. The lifts are modest by European standards — a handful of drag lifts and a chair lift — but adequate for a day or two of skiing. The resort is popular with Moroccan families and Marrakech-based expats, and has a relaxed, unpretentious character compared to European ski resorts. Outside peak weekends it is rarely crowded.