Taghazout

Taghazout is the centre of gravity for surfing in Morocco. A fishing village of a few thousand people an hour north of Agadir, it now has more surf camps per square metre than anywhere else in the country, and the right-hand points on its doorstep are the reason.

The draw is the geography. The coastline here runs northeast to southwest, which bends North Atlantic swell into a series of long right-hand point breaks — Anchor Point, Killers, La Source, Mysteries — that peel for hundreds of metres on the right day. Between the points sit sandy beaches that are gentle enough to learn on, so a single village serves both a first-timer and someone who has surfed for twenty years.

That concentration is also the trade-off. In January and February the points get genuinely crowded, and the line-up at Anchor is not a beginner environment on any day. Most camps based here teach somewhere else — Tamraght, Banana, Crocs — and bring intermediates back to the points when conditions suit.

Out of the water it is walkable, cheap and busy. Cafés along the seafront, a small souk, yoga on most terraces, and a steady population of people who came for a week and stayed for a season.

Where to stay in Taghazout

Almost everything in Taghazout is a surf camp or a guesthouse, and most of it is within walking distance of the water. A dorm bed with breakfast starts around €20 a night, a private room in a camp with meals and coaching lands between €45 and €80, and a full week with lessons, board and transfers usually runs €270 to €500.

Good to know

Book ahead for January and February: the points are at their best and the village fills. Carry cash — plenty of cafés and smaller guesthouses do not take cards, and the handful of ATMs can empty over a busy weekend. The village is walkable, but a shared taxi to Tamraght or up to Anchor costs almost nothing and saves the hill.