Taghazout

A fishing village turned surf village

Taghazout has kept its lanes, its white houses and its brightly painted fishing boats. Early in the morning, the fishermen come back to the harbour. The village mixes Berber culture and surf culture: several schools give lessons and rent equipment, and yoga is practised on terraces facing the ocean.

Next to the village, Taghazout Bay is a resort that its developers present as Morocco's first eco-responsible tourist resort. It brings together hotels from major brands, nearly 2,000 homes, the Tazegzout golf course, 18 holes designed by the architect Kyle Phillips, and the Surf Tadenga academy, open since April 2016 on 5 hectares facing the ocean, with a club for children.

Choosing your season by your level

Taghazout's waves change with the seasons, and that is the first thing to check before booking.

• From October to March, the winter swells are at their most powerful. This is the season of the points, such as Anchor Point and Killer Point, which are for experienced surfers. Sabaro advises beginners who come in winter to stick to the easy beaches, with an instructor.
• From May to August, the sea is calmer and the mood more beach-holiday. It is a good time for a first surf lesson and for family beach days.

To learn, Panorama Beach is the beginners' beach. A little further north, the bay at Imsouane offers a long right-hand wave over sand, suited to beginners and to those who want to progress; it draws many schools and can get very crowded.

The water ranges from 16.5 °C in February to 20.6 °C in September: a wetsuit is needed all year.

Choosing your base

Three ways to stay, depending on what you come for:

• In the village, for the surf atmosphere: you walk to the water.
• At Taghazout Bay, for comfort, golf and children. The Fairmont Taghazout Bay has a 1,800 m² spa, a kids' club free up to age 6 and the golf course five minutes away. The Riu Palace Tikida Taghazout, all-inclusive, has 504 rooms and children's pools with slides, and is fully accessible to people with reduced mobility.
• In Imi Ouaddar, a little further north, for surf and yoga in the same hotel: Paradis Plage offers 2- or 5-day surf packages, with 1 h 30 of lessons a day, board and wetsuit included, and three yoga classes a day in a room open to the ocean.

Agadir airport is 40 to 45 minutes away by road, and Agadir about twenty minutes: Sabaro suggests booking the transfer with your accommodation.

A typical week

Sabaro recommends at least two days for a taste of surfing, and a week to really progress. Sabaro's trip idea "Surf, yoga and spa in Taghazout, 7 days" sets the pace: six nights at Paradis Plage, a surf lesson every morning, yoga at the end of the day, and a trip to Paradise Valley.

Out of the water, there is plenty to do:

• Paradise Valley, about an hour's drive, with its gorges and natural pools under palm trees;
• sandboarding, surfing down dunes, in the Taboga desert;
• Souss-Massa National Park, south of Agadir, for its 250 or so bird species;
• Cape Ghir and Imi Ouaddar, to the north, fishing villages and a headland over the ocean;
• Agadir, its Souk El Had, closed on Mondays, and the Agadir Oufella kasbah.