Most people visit Morocco for its more famous tourist cities of Marrakesh and Casablanca to visit vibrant markets and go on desert joy rides but Taghazout is something completely different. Taghazout is a tiny village on the Atlantic coast with a population of just 5000 people. It is known as the surfing Mecca of Morocco due to its incredible variety of beaches and waves for everyone from complete novices to professional surfers.However it also has so much more to offer for almost any traveler.
What to do
Surf – The main attraction of Taghazout is its huge variety of surf schools and beaches for all abilities. Whether you are an experienced surfer bringing your own gear or a complete newbie this is for everyone and its incredibly affordable. Full day hire of a surfboard and wetsuit averages about 100 dirham per day (~£8) or 250-300 for a day of surf school. Almost all of the instructors are locals who have grown up and surfed these beaches for decades; some of the people at my hostel who have surfed all over the world said these instructors were some of the best they had ever had. With that said the basics of surfing are easily learnt through trial and error; if you’re willing to fall and get thrown about by the waves for a couple hours when you first start you’ll find you can even get standing by the end of your first day.
Watching other people surf is also a great way to learn and have fun especially from the shore at some of the bigger breaks like Anchor point and Killer point. To surf here you really do have to know what you’re doing and be a bit of a nutter with some of the waves crashing directly up to rocks and cliff faces.
Souk al haad is in the more touristic town of Agadir and is your typical Moroccan market with huge stands for any goods you can imagine sold at minuscule fairs. Fruits and vegetables are pilled several feet in the air as far as you can see. Agadir however has far less to do as it is mainly beach resorts for all inclusive holidays and so I’d recommend fitting this in on your way to or from the airport
Socialise – With the country’s view on alcohol there aren’t really any clubs or bars as such and so Taghazout is definitely a place for a more relaxing break. The main social areas are on the hostels rooftop terraces and down on the beaches where groups of locals and travelers alike play football together most evenings.
Paradise valley is exactly what it sounds like; a stunning natural valley carved into the atlas mountains by Tamraght river. Here you can hike through the mountains, relax in the pools of water and even do some cliff jumping. Luckily while I was at the pool there was a group of locals who knew all the best spots and were crazy – diving and flipping from double the height any traveler dared to. If this isn’t the case while you are there always depth check first and ensure you aim to land in the middle of the pool; having someone watch over anything you have with you is also a good idea. The only drawback to Paradise valley is that it is not as easily accessible due to its remote location. You can book organised tours here either online or through your hostel and return taxis services are also available but this does limit how long you can spend in the valley and cost 300 dirham each way. Look around Awrir to see what you can find to save money; the shared taxi I got there cost me just 20 dirham and I was dropped back by a family I came across in the car park who had a spare seat in their hire car.
Skate park – When I arrived at my hostel and was getting shown around I was told the skate park was a must see – especially at sunset. If you’re anything like me you will have read that and rolled your eyes thinking it will just be a place for hippies but it truly is a great experience. The skate park is half way up the hills behind Taghazout and looks out across the Atlantic ocean and down to the many villages dotted along the coast to the south.The park in itself is a covered in art and graffiti and filled with incredible local skaters who almost perform for the crowd; trying their biggest and most impressive tricks as more and more people arrive. There are vendors selling drinks, people playing music and others joining in for the songs they know.
How to get around
The roads here are very easy to navigate, well maintained and follow rules which are largely the same as Europe and so hiring a car is definitely an option especially if you’re looking to do a long road trip of Morocco. The bus network is also pretty extensive but does not run on anything like a fixed schedule; when I asked what time I could get the bus from Taghazout back to Agadir the owner of my hostel simply said ‘it comes when it comes’ and so you my be waiting at the stop for ten minutes or two hours it is simply chance. Taxis are largely affordable but there is not access to apps such as bolt or uber and rates are hugely inconsistent – taxi sharing is very popular wit travelers so it is often worth asking around the taxi rank or waiting to see if someone else happens to be going to the same place as you.
Where to eat
There are great places to eat for all budgets and preferences in Taghazout; the best budget options are in the southern side of the village around a small square just off of the main road where you can get tagines and tacos for as little as 30 dirhams (£2.50). The favorite snacks among most of the people in my hostel were the 7 dirham crepes and 30 dirham yogurt pots which are sold by different vendors with carts who pop up in different spots every day. If you’re willing to spend a bit more there are some great places to eat on the beachfront with my favorites being World of Waves and Windy Bay. These are a bit more expensive with breakfast for about 60-80 dirhams and dinner for 100-150 (£8-12.50) but this is still far cheaper than most of Europe and these are two of the only places which take card so they may be worth saving for later in your stay when you are running low on cash.
My top tips:
- Withdraw cash at the airport – the fees are cheaper than the ATM in Taghazout and some people had issues with not getting cash from the Taghazout ATM
- Go sooner rather than later – several large hotel complexes are getting built nearby which may make it far busier and filled with a different type of crowd
- Go in the winter months (October-March) – This is the time of year with the best waves and more comfortable temperatures (bring some extra layers as it does get cooler in the evenings)
- Double check your hostel reviews – several say that they have breakfast on Hostelworld or Booking.com but do not when you get there. There are some very cheap and good breakfast places though so it is not a necessity.
- If you are just looking to experience what Taghazout has to offer 2-3 days should be enough with good weather however I went for 5 and could easily have stayed for several more nights before even starting to get bored
