The cave of the wind. Walk down into the light.
Reopened and made safe in 2026On the slopes of Djebel Messaoud, in the commune of Bab Boudir, 26–30 km from Taza along a mountain road. The cave is the highlight of the Tazekka circuit, a loop of about 76 km through cedars, waterfalls and dayas.
Created in 1950, the park protects the cedar forest of Jbel Tazekka (1,980 m). The Barbary deer was reintroduced here in 1994. Nearby, the Daya Chiker, a large karst basin, has fed for millennia the waters that carved Friouato.
In Amazigh, “Ifri” means cave. Friouato is said to be “the cave of the wind”, after the cold air that constantly rises from the depths, already noted by Norbert Casteret in 1934.
The entrance is not a door but a sinkhole: a chasm with vertical walls, grey and streaked with ochre, covered in moss and ferns where daylight falls. You walk down on a staircase fixed to the rock face.
Unstable blocks removed, a cage and nets against falling rocks, concrete steps with galvanised steel railings, LED lighting. The works, led by the Fès-Meknès Region, cost more than 12.6 million dirhams. The first visitors went back down at the end of July 2026.
At the top, the walls are green with moss. Lower down, the rock turns grey and ochre again, the air cools, and the opening above you narrows into an oculus of sky.
Look up: on a clear day, a beam falls from the opening and lights up the cone of fallen rocks. In front of you, a black porch opens in the rock face: this is where the cave begins.
Between 12 and 14 °C all year round, humidity above 85 %, condensation on the walls. In the height of summer, the cave is a cool refuge.
A huge hall slopes steeply down under a grey vault. The staircase zigzags across it between fallen blocks, marked by small warm lamps. Behind you, daylight fades away.
These blocks fell from the vault over the centuries. After an accident in 2016 the site was closed: removing loose rock, reinforcing and protecting it were essential before reopening.
In the cave's pools, researchers have observed Salamandra algira splendens breeding: larvae, juveniles and adults live here in the dark.
At the foot of the slope, grey gives way to cream and caramel formations: clusters of stalactites, stalagmites, columns and small rimstone pools filled with water.
Water has laid down the limestone in pleated veils, banded light and brown, shaped drop by drop over thousands of years.
The developed area ends here. Beyond this point, a rope, overalls, a helmet, a headlamp and a qualified guide are required.
Ito, a young shepherdess of Tazekka, fell gravely ill. Only wild honey could cure her. A young shepherd found it at the bottom of the chasm and saved her; they fell in love. Furious, Ito's father had the shepherd thrown into the abyss, and Ito followed him. They say the two crossed the cave by the light of beeswax candles, and that their tears remained in the rock.
Several versions are told in the region · the name “Friito” would mean “Ito's cave”
Below the chambers, a narrow passage plunges down drops and small shafts for about a hundred metres. It is only entered on rope, on a guided expedition.
The great French caver spent 45 days in the massif with Élisabeth Casteret, at the request of the town of Taza. He reached −125 m in Friouato, three years after the first rope descent in 1931.
The Taza Caving Club reached a long, almost horizontal gallery dotted with gours, pools rimmed with calcite. Water flows through it; it is thought to join Chiker cave, 1 km to the north-east, although no connection has been proven.
Cavers from the University of Exeter passed two sumps. The network, more than 2 km long, ends in a choke of boulders: it is one of the deepest caves in Morocco.
Plan your visit to the cave of the wind.
Public access is paid on site. For a guided visit, caving, a group or a day in Tazekka, send us a request and we will reply with a quote.
The sinkhole, the steps and the first chambers, in the area made safe in 2026. Tickets are sold on site — no booking with us needed.
The same descent, with the stories: geology, the history of exploration, wildlife and the legends of Tazekka.
Beyond the developed area: narrow passages, drops, deep chambers. Overalls, helmet and headlamp provided, in a small group with a qualified leader.
Friouato, the Daya Chiker, the Ras el Ma waterfalls and the cedar forest of Jbel Tazekka: the loop of about 76 km from Taza.
Educational trips on karst and biodiversity, team days, associations: a programme adapted to your group.
0 / 6 ready
Yes. It reopened at the end of July 2026, after several years of safety works. Official opening hours are still to be confirmed.
At the end of July 2026, the public access ticket observed on site cost 5 MAD per person. An increase to 50 MAD had been proposed but not yet approved. Our services (guide, caving, groups, circuit) are on request.
Going down is easy; climbing back up some 520 steps requires good fitness. Take your time, there are landings. Guided caving is not recommended for claustrophobic people.
Between 12 and 14 °C all year round, with high humidity. Bring a warm layer, even in summer.
The bottom, at −271 m, can only be reached on a caving expedition, with rope, equipment and a qualified leader.
Take the Bab Boudir road, 26–30 km from Taza (about 40 minutes), by car or grand taxi. From Fès, allow about 2 h 30.
Tell us what you would like: we reply on WhatsApp or by email, usually within 24 hours.
