Morocco is among surfers one of the most popular destinations to travel to. The country offers excellent waves no matter what season. As an aspiring surfer, I had no doubts about having a good time there. For this reason, I spent a total of two weeks around Morocco's coastline. I experience the good and the bad and want to sum up the experience I made.
Thus, this blog post contains my honest review of traveling to Morocco's coastline. Where I deal with the big questions; is it really worth traveling to Morocco's beach towns?
Best Season to Visit
It is said that Spring is the best season for visiting Morocco because of the mild temperature. It is not too hot (around 30 degrees) and gets cool when the sun sets.
I agree. Spring would be perfect for those who like to explore Morocco's old town. If you are looking for the season with the best surf condition, it is best to visit Morocco between September and March.
Accommodation
I had the assumption that we would quickly find a room that meets our needs because of the many surf camps advertising for Tamraght and Taghazout. Unfortunately, we did not. We discovered that both locations were compact, with only a few hostel and hotel options for a reasonable price. As a result, we faced difficulties finding suitable accommodation for our stay. In the end, we did find a suitable place in Tamraght.
Wavy Days had everything we required during our stay. The hostel had clean and contemporary rooms, daily-maintained bathrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, and a reliable internet connection. Our experience in Tamraght was truly enhanced by the hostel. However, the only drawback was its location, as it took us approximately 30 minutes to reach the beach.
Places to Visit
I am sincere that Morocco's coastline has even more places to visit than I did. However, Taghazout is probably one of the most popular places. Yes, it has its charm and does offer surf schools, a few cafés and restaurants, and one of the coolest skate parks in the world.
Located right next to it, there is another charming town called Tamraght. It is also known as its 'little brother' and celebrates the real and simple lifestyle of Moroccans. There is honestly not much going on here, but somehow has its vibe.
Agadir is a bigger city in the south of Morocco's coastline and around 25 minutes by car away from Taghazout and Tamraght.
Lastly, there is another surf town around 1.5 hours away from Taghazout and Tamraght. Imsouane is the place to be for surfers who would like to dance on their boards. Surfers can ride one wave for a minute, they are steady and frequent, perfect for all surfers no matter what level.
🤫 Essouira is another place on the coastline that might be worth checking out. Unfortunately, I did not visit it by myself, but heard a lot from others.
Things to Do
Morroco is especially known for giving visitors a great insight into their culture. It is very authentic and in bigger cities, there are many old buildings to visit. The smaller towns around the coast do not offer a lot of sightseeing spots, despite their mosque, but they cannot be visited.
I figured, that Morocco’s coastline is for two kinds of people:
You are attending a one-week surf course in a school with others and your day is planned thoroughly by the provider.
You are looking for a hot place to wind down and listen to the sound of the ocean.
If you are not one of those two, you got to keep moving, because staying too long in a place might get boring. There is not much to do, the towns are quite small and the nightlife is almost inexistent.
For those who might travel along the coast side, here are a few things to do:
Surf. That is the best thing to do.
Experience the towns by walking through them.
Every Wednesday there is a local food market in Tamraght selling the freshest fruits and vegetables.
Drive along the coastline and experience the beautiful landscape.
Visit the skate park in Taghazout around sunset. The scenery is breathtaking! It is fun to observe the locals, such as some courageous travelers doing their tricks.
Surfing
I already mentioned surfing as one of the top things to do and would like to explain it a bit further. As I already mentioned, we stayed in Tamraght for two weeks, which is located right next to Taghazout. Taghazout is one of the most famous towns in Morocco for surfers. Since we were struggling with finding accommodation we choose the smaller 'brother' as our home base.
Well, it did not matter, because it was not the right season for surfing. Unfortunately, we just read that Spring is the best season to visit Morocco, but did not do our research when the best season was for surfing. During our stay the waves were small and for this reason, we went to Imsouane to surf.
Imsouane is around 1.5 hours away from Taghazout/Tamraght. The best way to get there is by car. The waves are the longest I have seen and perfect for those, who would like to try out longboarding. In comparison to Taghazout Imsouane is a smaller town with not as much to do. Still, a place worthy to see.
If you came around the right season, the following list of surfing spots might be for you:
Anchor Point is probably one of the most famous surf spots in the area and is suitable for experienced surfers.
I have mentioned Imsouane already above but is all-year around a great place for surfing.
Banana Beach is located between Tamraght and Agadir and is ideal for beginners.
Panorama Beach might be the reason why Taghazout is a popular spot for surf schools. Located right in front of the village, this beach is best for beginners.
Transportation
I am not a fan of renting a car in a foreign country, and use, whenever possible public transport, or a scooter (where my boyfriend and I can occupy every seat). If you are not staying in a surf school, where you mostly follow the schedule that is prepared for you, a car makes your life so much easier around Morocco's coastline.
Why is that so?
As a disclaimer, this is about my personal experience and experiences differ depending on encounters.
However, I was not pleased with Morocco's taxi policy. There is no Uber or any other transportation company available around the coastline, so you must go the old-school way and take a taxi. It is said that a meter system is installed in every taxi, but coincidentally, none of them seemed to work. It was very stressful to haggle about the price every time I wanted to go to another place, and it was everything but not cheap. For a 15-minute drive, we paid around 50-100 Dirhams, which is around 5-10$. In comparison, renting a car costs only 20$ a day, and there is no need to haggle and you are free to do whatever you want.
Restaurants
A travel guide from me without any food recommendations is like Spaghetti without sauce - a shame!
For those who are looking for a healthy restaurant that offers Smoothie Bowls and Avocado Toasts then I might have found the one: Let’s Be Healing Food has even more than that. From Pizza (which we never had the chance to give a try) to nourishing Buddha Bowls, Tacos to Burgers, and many different kinds of desserts I am sure everyone will find something to eat there. It is in a higher price range than other establishments, but unique around the neighborhood.
If you are looking for delicious and authentic Tajines you should visit Le Petit Kawa a restaurant in Tamgraght. They do have a wide menu, offering all kinds of Moroccan specialties.
Timam Du Chef is a typical delivery service, and the only one around! It is especially known to be open during Ramadan when all the other restaurants are closed. On their menu, you find typical delivery dishes, such as pizza, burgers, and a few Moroccan dishes.
Focacceria Daniela is a tiny restaurant/takeaway for those who like to eat good Italian focaccia or homemade pasta. They offer salads, healthy breakfast bowls, and many other dishes. Be aware that they run out of ingredients quickly and may not have all dishes on the menu available.
HEY YALLAH is a fancy café located in the heart of Tamraght. The interior design is refreshingly modern and they offer the best banana bread I had in Morocco. It is the owner’s vision to create an open space for expats, travelers, and digital nomads, therefore, she organizes many events at the café. You should check out their Instagram, to get the latest info.
The last place is not a restaurant, it is more an interior shop that offers the best coffee around and is perfect for connecting with other travelers. Daydream Home Goods has fancy Moroccan rugs, accessories, and much more. The owner makes good coffee for a reasonable price and outside the store are seats where travelers in Tamraght meet for a coffee break.
All the restaurants I mentioned above were located in Tamraght, and in my opinion, there were more trustworthy restaurants there. The only restaurant I can recommend in Taghazout is Windy Bay. Similar to the others, Windy Bay offered pizza, burgers, pasta, and some salads. Nothing outstanding, but in comparison to the others, one of the best in Taghazout.
If you are staying in Imsouane or are there for a short surf trip, O Happy Bay likely will cross your way. It has the best view of Imsouane Bay and is the ideal place to rest after your surf session, drink orange juice and watch how the other surfers are doing. The food there was okay.
SOMASUSHI wins the prize for offering the best overall restaurant experience in Morocco. It is located somewhere in Agadir and is best reached by car. What especially stood out were the friendly waitresses, who served fast and their top-quality food. As the name already reveals sushi is their main offer. Additionally, there are many other Asian dishes on the menu.
Conclusion
Could I recommend Morocco's coastline to others after my travels? Well, let me be brutally honest with you - I would not if you considered staying longer around Morocco's coastline like I did. There is not much to do here neither is there a lot going on. There are not many fancy places to dine in, and eating healthy and balanced can be difficult.
Honestly, Morocco's coastline should be included in your itinerary, I recommend not staying longer in one place for more than two or three days, unless you book a one-week surfing course. It would be also a great place to travel with a van.
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