Surfing in Morocco
For all you surfers out there, here is a piece for you.
I have surfed on and off for around 17 years, I’ve never claimed to be the best but I try and that’s all that matters as they say. Ha, i’m no Kelly Slater but then who is apart from the man himself.
I want to tell a story of how I found a beautiful part of the world full of fantastic people and a lifestyle I crave almost 100% of my waking life.
For transparency, I have not surfed everywhere in Morocco but I did find an absolute gem of an area, easily accessible from the UK and I’m guessing Europe too as I met a lot of German and Dutch on my 2 trips to the area.
Foreplay over, I’m talking about Tamraght and Taghazout. If you have not been then I encourage all to do so.
The reason i went takes me back to the time i was back doing a “normal” job. I was back in England due to family and personal reasons. I had bought an old house as I always wanted to renovate an old property in a specific part of my home city. The opportunity arose and I took it.
I digress, 8 months into doing the renovation my burning itch to leave and see the world was hitting me like a woodpecker at its favorite all you can eat buffet tree.
I had to get away. Where to go? The issue many of us have that love to travel . We want to go everywhere so deciding on a short trip is just tough. First world problems I know.
I thought to myself, hmmm i love surfing and the conditions in the Uk have been crap, why don’t i go to a camp and just go crazy for a week or 2. I looked up the normal places, spain, portugal etc. Up popped an advert for morocco. Why hadn’t I thought about it before, look at the country, it’s one big coast line and not that far away. Amazing this is the place to go, I told myself.
Next step, I have to admit although I know I’m part of the tourists I hate, I do not like touristy places, it’s a complete turnoff for me.
I looked at different areas and Taghazout leapt out time after time. It looked beautiful, relaxing, not touristy, lots of surf schools to choose from. Perfect. I picked a surf school called tiziri. This place did not disappoint, it ended up being a small house owned and run by an awesome young couple, one Moroccan native and his wife from Eastern Europe. The house was beautiful, amazing rooftop, away from the main road, although that quickly became obvious it was an issue as after 8pm a whole 3-4 cars would wizz past. It was so tranquil on an evening and couldn’t have been a better choice for me. I wanted to relax but also to meet some cool people and get some serious surf in.
The food was amazing at this place, honestly some of the best food i’ve ever had, turned out it was the owners mum and friends making it. Heaven.
I should mention at this point that I am not being paid or receiving any reward for writing about the place, I just wanted to mention how amazing the place was and I will certainly return in the future.
The days started with a buffet style breakfast with everything you could possibly want, cereals, meats, breads and grains, yogurt, eggs, fruit and vegetables. Coffee and fruit juices to wash it all down. Then we would jump in the van and head out to find the best spot for the day. The instructors were a laugh and got to know them well over the 7 days I was there.
Once finding a spot we would unload the boards, suits and head to a spot with umbrellas to give shade from the crazy heat.
Morning would be a 2 hour lesson and in the afternoon a free session until everyone was ready to go home. I made the most of this and was surfing 5-6 hrs a day. Believe me I regretted this after a few days because my arms were ready to fall off. We would then return to chill for a few hours, my room was beautiful so I would love a post surf nap before chilling out with a drink before an amazing dinner. The dinners were mindblowing, all the Moroccan food you can imagine. Meats and vegetables, breads, tagines, just fantastic food catering for all diets. I would always finish the night with a drink on the roof terrace. Now important to say, alcohol is not a thing really in this area due to the religious and cultural beliefs. I got some dark rum from the airport and got a huge bottle of coke from the local store across the street. So if you do want a drink when there, grab something at the airport. There is a spot or 2 in the next town for a beer but no bars and it’s expensive.
The week flew by, exploring the little streets and eateries of taghazout. It’s so relaxing and I loved it. Quiet and authentic, my kind of place.#
The days flew by and we hit a different surf spot nearly everyday, the instructors pushed you a little each day and I hit some nice greens in my week. An ex pro surfer rocking up after a few days made everyone feel mediocre i can assure you.
My time in the beautiful surroundings of Tamraght was truly one of the best experiences of my life, a short trip touched my heart more than I ever thought it would. The people here are friendly, the locals are authentic and welcoming. The food is fantastic and not at all expensive. A Lot of surf schools can be found in this area and so many good reviews are evident so you know the standard is high. It’s not a luxury holiday by any means, it’s just about perfect for me.
The weather hardly dropped below 30 during daylight hours and only dropped a little more on an evening making it great to hang out on the various rooftops you can see of the other camps and hotels.
I will definitely return to this area and in fact I have visited the next town Taghazout for a similar trip.
Long live surf camps and the free spirit of all those who attend.