barrage dam
Lalla Takerkoust, the lake below the Agafay hills
Lalla Takerkoust is a reservoir on the N'fis river, south of the Agafay Desert, Marrakech, Morocco. It is worth adding to an Agafay day as a stop for the view, not as a place to swim. A taxi or hire car takes about 30 minutes from Marrakech, as the tour operator Journey Beyond Travel states. On 13 November 2026 the national dam bulletin had it 65.48% full, against 16.06% on the same day a year earlier. Operators list boats and jet skis for hire; the UK Foreign Office warns that swimming in dams can be dangerous.
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How full the lake is
The lake you see depends on the year. The dam bulletin of the Ministry of Equipment and Water gives the fill rate of every reservoir each day, and Lalla Takerkoust swings widely between one autumn and the next. A photo from another year can show a very different shoreline.
65.48%full on 13 November 2026
- Same day a year earlier
- 16.06%
- Water stored
- 33.01 million m³
- Tensift basin, all its dams
- 79.59%
- All dams in Morocco
- 66.19%
The rest of the Tensift basin, the river system Lalla Takerkoust belongs to, was fuller still on the same day. In October 2024 the newspaper Le Matin reported that the basin agency planned a field of floating solar panels on this reservoir, to power the dam and cut evaporation. The report gives a plan, not a finished installation.
Where it sits and how you get there
The lake lies south of the Agafay plateau, on the road country between Marrakech and Amizmiz. The Agafay Desert map shows the whole area with a scale; the drawing here gives the positions only.
- From Marrakech
- About 30 minutes by taxi or hire car, as Journey Beyond Travel states
- Distance
- About 35 km south-west of Marrakech for the dam, as the news agency MAP reports; it does not say whether by road or in a straight line
- To the Agafay camps
- 40 to 60 minutes from Marrakech by road; tours that combine both stop at the lake on the way up
- The dam
- Built from 1929 to 1935, as MAP reports, on the N'fis, a river that rises in the High Atlas and joins the Tensift
- The commune
- Lalla Takerkoust, in Al Haouz Province: 8,419 people at the 2024 census, 4,827 of them in the town itself (Haut-Commissariat au Plan)
Organised outings pick you up in Marrakech. To go on your own, take a taxi or a hire car; the drive to the desert itself is on getting from Marrakech to Agafay.
What you can do at the lake
On the outings that name the lake, the visit is a stop for photos and tea, or a ride along the shore. Here is what each source says is on offer.
The tour operator Journey Beyond Travel states
Jet skis, paddle boats are for hire by the hour or by the day.
The travel agency kimkim describes
Lake Takerkoust as a weekend spot for Marrakech residents, for swimming, boating, sailing.
Morocco's Water Law 36-15 states
Leisure, tourist and sports use of a natural or artificial body of water comes under the concession regime; in short, concession required. Before you rent a jet ski or a boat, ask the hirer who runs the activity and what it includes.
The Ministry of Tourism's directory lists
12 classified places to stay around Lalla Takerkoust, none of them a camp or bivouac (directory of 14 November 2026). For a tent, the Agafay camps sit on the plateau to the north.
Rentals and opening times change with the season and the water level. What runs on a given day is the operator's to state, so ask when you book.
oued river
Swimming: what the authorities say
Some visitors do swim here, and the kimkim description above lists swimming. The official advice for travellers reads differently, and it applies to dams in general:
UK Foreign Office, travel advice of 19 August 2026
Swimming in open water in Morocco, including dams and rivers, can be dangerous: deep mud and steep underwater slopes can trap people and lead to drowning.
Smartraveller (Australia), advice of 29 July 2026
Among health precautions for Morocco: don't swim in fresh water.
Moulouya basin agency, reported by TelQuel on 13 July 2026
A reminder for the reservoirs in its own basin, in the north-east of the country: "La retenue du barrage n'est pas un lieu de baignade", the dam reservoir is not a place for bathing. Its advice in short: no swimming in reservoirs.
If you want water on a hot day, a pool day pass at an Agafay camp gives you a swimming pool on the plateau.
Adding the lake to an Agafay day
The lake works best as the first stop of an afternoon that ends on the plateau. The most reviewed outing that names it, the GetYourGuide sunset outing (number 1 in the list below), runs in this order, as the listing sets it out:
Pickup in Marrakech
From your hotel or one of the listed pickup points; the time moves with the season and the sunset.
Drive to Lalla Takerkoust
South out of the city to the lake.
Stop at the lake
Photos and tea by the water.
Short drive up to Agafay
Onto the stony plateau north of the lake.
Sunset, camel ride if your option has one
The camel ride is included only in the options that list it.
Dinner with music, then back
Dinner, tea and music at the camp, then the drive back to Marrakech.
The whole outing is listed at 6 hours. Sunset times for your date are on the Agafay sunset page; the Agafay day trip guide compares the shorter and longer formats.
Outings that stop at the lake
Listings that name Lalla Takerkoust, most reviewed first, with each partner's price as listed on 14 November 2026. On a quad or a buggy you ride across Agafay to the water; the sunset and join-in tours drive you there and stop. Riding rules are on the Agafay buggy page.
Sunset, camel ride and dinner, with a lake stop
from USD 19 per person
A stop with tea by the water before the sunset on the plateau.
Half-day quad to the lake
from USD 55.24 per person
You ride the quad across Agafay to the lake shore and back, with a tea break.
Half-day buggy to the lake
from USD 62 per person
A two-seat buggy instead of a quad, on the same lake and desert loop.
Half-Day Buggy Adventure: Lalla Takerkoust Lake & Agafay Desert
Show the other 1 outing
Agafay and the Atlas in one day
AUD 56.15, about USD 38
The lake is one stop among several, with a plateau and a mountain village on the same day.
For a longer day out of the city that is not about the desert, see day trips from Marrakech.
Questions people ask
Can you swim in Lalla Takerkoust lake?
Some visitors do, and a travel agency lists swimming among weekend uses. The UK Foreign Office warns that swimming in open water in Morocco, including dams, can be dangerous, because deep mud and steep underwater slopes can trap people. Australia's Smartraveller advises against swimming in fresh water. A pool day pass at an Agafay camp is the alternative for a swim.
How far is Lalla Takerkoust from Marrakech?
The news agency MAP puts the dam about 35 km south-west of Marrakech, without saying whether by road or in a straight line. The tour operator Journey Beyond Travel states a taxi or hire car gets there in about 30 minutes. Organised outings pick you up in Marrakech and stop at the lake on the way to the Agafay plateau.
Is Lalla Takerkoust part of the Agafay Desert?
No. The lake and the town belong to the commune of Lalla Takerkoust in Al Haouz Province, south of the plateau. The stony hills of the Agafay Desert rise to the north, and many quad, buggy and sunset outings cross them on the way to the water. The Agafay Desert map on this site shows both places on one scale.
Is there water in the lake at the moment?
Yes. The Ministry of Equipment and Water's daily bulletin had the reservoir 65.48% full on 13 November 2026, against 16.06% on the same day a year earlier. The level changes daily and from year to year, so the shoreline you see may differ from older photos. The bulletin on maadialna.ma carries the current figure.
Sources
- The Ministry of Equipment and Water's maadialna.ma dam bulletin gives the Lalla Takerkoust reservoir fill rate on 13 November 2026 as 65.48%. Ministère de l'Equipement et de l'Eau, maadialna.ma daily dam situation, Tensift basin, 13 November 2026.
- The maadialna.ma dam bulletin gives the Lalla Takerkoust stored volume on 13 November 2026 as 33.01 million m³. Ministère de l'Equipement et de l'Eau, maadialna.ma daily dam situation, Tensift basin, 13 November 2026.
- The maadialna.ma dam bulletin gives the Lalla Takerkoust fill rate on the same day a year earlier (13 November 2025) as 16.06%. Ministère de l'Equipement et de l'Eau, maadialna.ma daily dam situation, Tensift basin, 13 November 2026.
- The maadialna.ma dam bulletin gives the Tensift basin (which includes Lalla Takerkoust) fill rate on 13 November 2026 as 79.59%. Ministère de l'Equipement et de l'Eau, maadialna.ma daily dam situation, 13 November 2026.
- The maadialna.ma dam bulletin gives Morocco's national dam fill rate on 13 November 2026 as 66.19%. Ministère de l'Equipement et de l'Eau, maadialna.ma daily dam situation, 13 November 2026.
- Le Matin reported in October 2024 that the Tensift basin agency (ABHT) planned a floating solar panel field on the Lalla Takerkoust reservoir to power the dam and reduce evaporation. Le Matin, 'Al Haouz : bientôt des panneaux solaires flottants sur le barrage Lalla Takerkoust', 25 October 2024.
- The Ministry of Tourism's accommodation directory lists twelve classified establishments around Lalla Takerkoust (all Al Haouz Province), none a bivouac or camping (14 November 2026): 12. Ministère du Tourisme, Annuaire des établissements d'hébergement touristique, search 'takerkoust'.
- Smartraveller lists among health precautions in Morocco: don't swim in fresh water. Smartraveller (DFAT), Morocco travel advice, Other health risks, 29 July 2026.
- The UK FCDO advises that swimming in open water in Morocco, including dams and rivers, can be dangerous because deep mud and steep underwater slopes can trap people and lead to drowning. UK FCDO, Morocco travel advice, Safety and security, 19 August 2026.
- News agency MAP (via TelQuel) reports the Lalla Takerkoust dam is about 35 km south-west of Marrakech (not stated whether by road or in a straight line). TelQuel / MAP, 'Le barrage de Lalla Takerkoust n'a connu aucune interruption d'activité', 22 Sept 2023, 22 September 2023.
- The tour operator Journey Beyond Travel states a taxi or rental car reaches Lalla Takerkoust lake from Marrakech in about 30 minutes. Journey Beyond Travel, blog 'Lalla Takerkoust Lake'.
- News agency MAP (via TelQuel) reports the Lalla Takerkoust dam was built between 1929 and 1935. TelQuel / MAP, 22 Sept 2023, 22 September 2023.
- News agency MAP (via TelQuel) reports the Lalla Takerkoust dam stands on the N'fis river, a tributary of the Tensift rising in the High Atlas. TelQuel / MAP, 22 Sept 2023, 22 September 2023.
- Morocco's Water Law 36-15 places the use of natural or artificial water bodies for leisure, tourist or sports activities under the concession regime concession required. Law no. 36-15 on water, consolidated text of 30 July 2025 (Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement), 30 July 2025.
- TelQuel reported on 13 July 2026 that the Moulouya basin agency (ABHM) reminded the public of the bathing ban in dam reservoirs, with the slogan 'the dam reservoir is not a place to swim' (a notice for the Moulouya basin; Lalla Takerkoust lies in the Tensift basin); advisory: no swimming in reservoirs. TelQuel, 'Canicule : Les agences hydrauliques rappellent l'interdiction de baignade dans les barrages', 13 July 2026.
- The tour operator Journey Beyond Travel states jet skis and paddle boats are available for hire at Lalla Takerkoust by the hour or the day jet skis, paddle boats. Journey Beyond Travel, blog 'Lalla Takerkoust Lake'.
- The travel agency kimkim describes Lake Takerkoust as a weekend spot for Marrakech residents for swimming, boating and sailing swimming, boating, sailing. kimkim, Marrakech to Agafay.
- The Haut-Commissariat au Plan gives the 2024 legal population of the Commune de Lalla Takarkoust (Province d'Al Haouz, Cercle d'Amizmiz) as 8,419. Haut-Commissariat au Plan, Population légale de la Province d'Al Haouz, RGPH 2024 (xlsx), 1 September 2024.
- The Haut-Commissariat au Plan gives the 2024 population of the urban centre of Lalla Takerkoust as 4,827. Haut-Commissariat au Plan, Population légale de la Province d'Al Haouz, RGPH 2024 (xlsx), 1 September 2024.
- Tour prices, times and the drive to Agafay. Partner listings on GetYourGuide, Viator and Klook with the date of each price, in the partner's currency; transfer times as the operators and the Moroccan National Tourist Office state them
Photographs
- Lalla Takerkoust lake with the Atlas behind. Photo: Bertramz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
