Taghazout was once a sleepy fishing village and in recent years is now a modern seaside resort that has become a mecca for surfers from across the world. It sits north of Agadir on the Atlantic coast with breath-taking views, from the Argan forest that runs alongside it, the seven kilometres long beach is bordered by the High Atlas Mountains, giving visitors a glimpse of the diversity of nature.
Here, wind whips up the Atlantic Ocean into impressive tubes that has made this legendary spot a surfer’s paradise since the 1970s with a relaxed and chilled out vibe. There are a choice of point and reef breaks to suit total beginners and seasoned pros, Anchor Point, for example, combines a powerful, right-hand breaking point known for its barrel waves. The best waves occur from September to April and there’s plenty of surf club and surf shops offering lessons and wetsuit
rentals. There are surf camps only five metres from the jump off point of Hash Point or Surf Shops, where the owners custom shape surfboards in their shaping rooms. There are many surf shops offering workshops where visitors can learn to custom shape their own boards.
Breath control, focus and flexibility are all important skills for surfers, so it goes without saying that as well as surf camps many places in Taghazout offer yoga and meditation retreats. Some of them offer daily classes in an open-air setting, while others offer aerial yoga using lengths of silk or luxury retreats where guests can practice Vinyasa, Power, Hatha, or Yin yoga.
Away from the beach visitors can explore the windy streets filled with beautiful white and blue buildings. The little streets wind down to the beach and are filled with independent shops, cafes, and restaurants. Some of them offer panoramic ocean views and plenty of fresh seafood, in a nod of the fishing village past, with cold beers or glasses of wine.
Many hotels and hostels offer day trips to nearby Paradise Valley, a secret oasis in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains on the Tamraght River that includes magnificent waterfalls and freshwater pools flanked by limestone cliffs.
For the cultural-minded Taghazout also offers the first Argan museum in the world, The Argan Centre tells the story of Argan and how the trees carry ecological, social, and human values. Or for those who want a day away from the water’s edge try Taghazout’s Skatepark, where concrete waves and plenty of pipes sit on the hillside above the town.
Taghazout Bay Resort
Taghazout Bay Resort is a 615-hectare site offering seven luxury, four to five star hotels, a holiday village, golf course and a shopping mall. The area has been named “an environmentally and friendly destination”, and was the first destination along the coast of Morocco to be labelled eco-responsible and internationally certified as a Well HQE Development.
The resort provides a harmonious integration, preserving the environment and natural resources by promoting the landscape and urban integration, sustainable behaviours and preserving water resources, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
