Morocco

Culture & Customs

While major cities such as Tangier, Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakesh are straight out of Arabian Nights, the heart of the local surf culture lies in smaller, quieter coastal villages and towns such as Taghazout and Imsouane. The local color is an inviting mixture of Arabic culture, Berber, Islam, and hospitable desert fishermen. Female travelers have been known to face harassment in parts of Morocco, though much less so in the surf hub of Taghazout. It’s advisable to book into a surf camp along that stretch, where you’ll meet an eclectic mix of like-minded travellers. Meanwhile, just offshore lie dozens of world-class point breaks that have made the country the stuff of legend with regular-footers in search of endless aquatic perfection. Depending what you are looking for, you can post up in a posh surf camp, get lost on a feral, solo mission to the middle of the desert, or mix it up with hundreds of backpackers at local surf schools. With so much variety and an endless expanse of wave-rich coastline, there’s something for just about everyone.

Local scene

The major surf zones are widely known and heavily frequented, so don’t expect to score Anchor Point to yourself. That said, there are a lot of quality setups, and when swell pours in from the Atlantic, it tends to do so with consistency and power. The lineups are full of local rippers, visiting pros, Euro backpackers, and itinerant jetsetters, all of whom are looking for the same thing—quad-burning right-handers that radiate for hundreds of meters around picturesque headlands. If you are looking for a more solitary experience, your best bet is to explore the coast in a 4x4, where you will find hundreds of miles of uncharted points, beach breaks, and even slabby reefs.

What to bring

In terms of boards, your Moroccan quiver will depend on where you plan to surf and what sort of a surfer you are. A lot of backpackers and surf schoolers make their way to the main surf hubs, and most end up riding longboards at the smaller, inside peelers. If you are an experienced surfer, you’ll want to bring shortboards and step-ups geared toward racy points (think of the high-performance shred sticks and round-pin step-ups you’d take to Rincon or J-Bay), but you can get away with riding just about anything in Morocco, from fish and mid-lengths to whatever other esoteric shapes you might have on your rack. While gear is available in the main towns, it’s worthwhile bringing your own wax and other accessories, particularly if you intend to head out into the desert and explore. It is also a good idea to pack some modest clothing, as the local culture is a bit more conservative than you may be used to, particularly outside of the main surf and tourist zones.

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How to get there

There are a few main options for getting to Morocco, and which you choose will depend on your starting point, budget, and preference. Regular international flights land in Marrakesh and Casablanca, which both offer close proximity to Safi. Meanwhile, Agadir is the closest international airport to Taghazout, which has historically been the center of the surf scene. For those looking to road trip down from Europe, there are ferries across the Strait of Gibraltar from Tarifa and Barcelona in Spain to Tangier, as well as a popular route from Almeria to Nador.

Downtime

Morocco is a colorful, culturally rich country with interesting locals and invigorating towns. Get lost in Souk al Had or explore nearby Paradise Valley if you are based in Agadir. Marrakesh is another cultural hotspot if you are based nearby. Ornate mosques are a unique visit for those who are interested in religion, while the local cuisine is incredible (try the tagine!) and the hammams (steam bath) are a great way to recover after a week of all-day surf sessions. Or you could visit Casablanca and relive the ultimate Hollywood romance —here’s looking at you, kid.