Morocco, located at the convergence of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, North of the Doldrums and roughly 60 NM due East from the Canary Islands.
Blessed by the winter swells from the North Atlantic the Moroccan coastline has been formed and shaped into a surfer’s paradise with fantastic sandy beaches and short rocky reefs that really enhance the Northern swells into great green surf waves.
Surf Morocco as Morocco’s premier surfing experts, here is our guide to the best surf pots in Morocco.
Morocco’s long Atlantic coastline can best be split into two distinct sections, the North encompassing the stretch from Tangier’s through to Safi. The South coast, stretching from Safi all the way down to Dakhla on the border of Mauritania.
The Southern Moroccan Atlantic Coast
When the big Atlantic swells start bombing from the north, you need know only one word: Morocco, from Tangier in the North all the way down to Dakhla in the South, Morocco offers a variety of slabs, points and beachies. The winter swell season is long, stretching from October to May; with the water temperature a mild 18 to 24 degrees there is great surfing for everyone.
www.surfmorocco.fun – our surf-pros know every surf spot in Morocco intimately, Surf Morocco is your ticket to great surfing in Morocco.
Essaouira – Taghazout
Essaouira has seduced travelers for centuries, located on a peninsula surrounded by verdant forests and the Atlantic Ocean. Wander through the authentic medina and adjoining harbour, a fortified ensemble built during the end of the 18th-century. Essaouira, a UNESCO World Heritage site boasts arguably the best beginner surf beach in Morocco.
Essaouira Bay. An ideal surf spot for beginners and relaxed surfers, the beach is a long, curved beach with a soft sandy bottom that offers great views of both the port and Isle de Mogador. It is best at high tide with a light north wind because it creates both left and right peaks that allow you to get a grip of the basic surf skills. The waves are often at best in the mornings.
Sidi Kaouki, a quiet fishing village that exudes bucolic charm, tenanted with charming locals, and tran Sidi Kaouki, a quiet fishing village that exudes bucolic charm, tenanted with charming locals, and transcendent relaxation. A beautiful big beach with a large shrine the rocks behind the village, washed by the sea, the final resting place of Sufi Saint, Sidi Kaouki.
A Long open beach break with loads of punchy peaks and a bit of reef at the river mouth and south end that can offer faster rides.
Taghazout – Moroccan Surf Mecca
Taghazout, once only a sleepy fishing village perched on the North African Atlantic coast that came alive each winter with the sound of pounding pointbreaks. Today it is a chilled-out surfer’s paradise that is full surf banter, cafés, local stores, and restaurants serving traditional Moroccan cuisine. A gorgeous place rich in Arabic culture.
The long expanse of beach with a headland to the north that offers shelter and can be a fantastic place to spend the day, relaxing in the shade while gazing and the magnificent views. Taghazout is surf, surf, and more surf, Morocco’s premium surfing destination.
Taghazout’s Best Surf Spots
Taghazout and vicinity is dotted with world-class breaks. They are generally consistent, even when there is not sizeable swell in the water. These are some of the most notable:
Anchor Point – a delicious right point break that looks easier than you think
Killer Point – a powerful wave. Which is higher than you think
La Source – a performance wave, only a little less tall and powerful then Killer Point
Mysteries – located directly next to La Source, with the waves breaking partly on sand, making them more relaxed
Hash Point – one of the most relaxed waves
Panoramas – could reasonably have some flow. But also runs a nice long right
Devil’s Rock – a tough name for a break, everyday can be different with right and lefts; mostly right
Banana Beach – the best beginner beach in Taghazout
Dracs – if you get a wave at Dracs it will likely be the best waves of your life. Razor-sharp rocks line the entry/exit route, so you will need booties and impeccable timing. When big northerly swells bombard the coastline, surfers score the longest barrels they have ever seen
Boilers – a point more exposed than Anchors; will likely be breaking when Anchors or Dracs are not. It is a tricky wave to sur. A fun wave but it bends out to sea in the most frustrating way
Tamri – Agadir
Tamri consists of an extended beach break that is exposed and offer consistent waves, which works well when other spots are flat. Peaks are scattered all along the beach. A great place for all levels of surfers.
La Source – performance walls and a high lifting A-frame that walls up slowly, making it perfect for beginner surfers. On the push of a small swell, the right-handers hold up towards the cliffs, while the rarer lefts break out towards the beach section. Small reef sections combine with the sandy bottom to provide nice walls that can offer some speed sections
Agadir – Tarfaya
Agadir Beach, here the southern section of the bay, a good right hander is the place to surf in Agadir as the swell has difficulty getting into the northern section of Agadir’s large bay.
Sidi Ifni in Southern Morocco is an exposed beach and reef break that has quite reliable surf. The reef breaks right. Surf Sidi Ifni n the winter for consistent clean waves.
El Ouatia near Souss Massa National Park (famous for birding) and adjacent to the mouth of Oued Massa river, is a beach break with a small swell. The wave, a long righthand wall breaking over outside boulders.
Tan-Tan, a city in the deep south of Morocco. Here you surf at Tan-Tan plage as well as other surrounding spots. Tan-Tan Plage is a left-hand reef break with a sand bottom. One of Morocco’s great left hander that holds shape up to 2 meters.
Tarfaya – Dakhla
Tarfaya is a beach break that goes both left and right with sand bottom and works at during all points of the tide cycle and it hold shape up to 1.3 meters
Foum El-Oued a frontier town on Cape Juby that sits behind the shadow of Fuerteventura. There is a small beach break by the Casama fort and a well on the shipwreck strewn northern beaches.
La Corniche has a long beach break, but it as well suffers from the shadow of the Canaries
Cape Boujdour in Western-Sahara – Coast is an exposed reef break. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the best swell direction is from the Northwest especially combined with an offshore wind direction from the East-southeast. Winter is the best time of year for surfing Cape Boujdour with consistent clean waves.
Dakhla positioned just above the Tropic of Cancer, is the unequivocal surf destination in Western Sahara. A 40km long peninsula with several reefs and pointbreaks and that do not require any searching.
Dakhla peninsula is far from the crowds and is still not truly discovered. In winter, Dakhla delivers numerous world class waves.
A point of curiosity, a 240-step lighthouse offers great panoramic views.
Dakhla’s 10 best surf spots
Oum Lamboiur is located on the ocean side of the peninsula, delivering great waves from nice swells that bring 1-2 meters waves that form barrels. It is undoubtedly one of the best places to surf in the world and is famous for hosting world surfing championships. Ride 1-minute-long waves that leave you speechless!
Arish is small traditional fisherman village just north to the North where 50-meter-high cliffs shelter the point from wind making for ideal surfing. This spot has endless right-handers starting with 8 second intervals winter, or summer.
La Sarga boasts the longest right handers in Africa, over 1 km in length, at 1300 meters this offers rides of up to for 2-minutes.
Picahua or Zebela offers amazing right handers with constant barrels.
Jail Point gives you both left and right handers, power, and fast waves, at 6 second periods even at low tide.
Dragon, an amazing left hander that produces the occasional long, huge barrel.
Punta Negra is always pumping even with no swell and gives you 7 perfect lefts and 4 right handers that all come with barrels.
Playa Jera is a world class wave spot with 8 left handers even when the swell is small.
Jorf el Hmam is a beautiful long beach with multiple spots the produce both rights and lefts.
Pointe De l’Or was a great beach break, however due to the excessive sand extraction it is not great for surfing anymore but can offer good conditions for strapless kitesurfing.