Loukkos River

The Loukkos River is a major tributary of the Atlas Mountains in northern Morocco. Despite its short length (about 100 km), the river is Morocco's third largest, with an average flow of 50 m3/s. The Loukkos river originates in the Rif Mountains and flows into the Atlantic Ocean in the city of Larache; the river serves as the city's port. The Loukkos river basin is 3,730 km2 in size and contains some of the country's most fertile and productive agricultural lands.

One of the river's tributaries, Oued Makhazine, is historically significant because it witnessed one of Morocco's most decisive battles, the Battle of Alcácer Quibir. On August 4, 1578, a joint army of deposed Moroccans fought a battle.The army of the deposed Moroccan monarch Abu Abdallah Mohammed II Saadi and his ally, King Sebastian of Portugal, was defeated by the army of the new Moroccan sultan from the same Saadi dynasty (who was also Abu Abdallah's uncle) on 4 August 1578.

During floods, the river can cause significant flooding. Tomás López and Vargas drew a map of the river in 1775 and labeled it "River Lucos" . For a time, the river served as a dividing line between Morocco and the French imperial lands.

Length: 175 km (109 mi)