Taghazout Travel Guide: 8 Best Things To Do in Taghazout, Morocco
Are you planning a surf trip to the town of Taghazout in Morocco? Amazing, I’m here to help! Taghazout is a small fishing village on the coast of Morocco, close to the city of Agadir and, although surfing is the most popular activity here, there are some other cool activities to be done around town that should be on your list.
And you’ll find out about each of them in my Taghazout travel guide below!
First of all, where is Taghazout and why visit?
Taghazout is located 20 km from Agadir and 150 km from Essaouira, on the Western side of the High Atlas Mountains. The map below will clarify its exact location if you’re curious to find out:
WHY VISIT TAGHAZOUT?
Good question. Multiple answers. First, there’s world-class surfing with incredible waves and lots of all-inclusive surf camps and surf houses. Both beginner AND advanced surfers are welcome here! Then, the town itself is super cute as well, scattered with pastel buildings, narrow streets, charming cafes and indie shops. We also have yoga, hiking, shopping and some easy day trips as well!
Taghazout (also known as Taghazout Surf Village) is an excellent place if you want to relax and unwind away from the huge crowds of tourists usually found in the more popular destinations in Morocco. And, if you want to follow the “surf, eat, sleep, repeat” mantra, this place is for you! 🙂
Now let’s find out what to do in Taghazout Morocco:
Taghazout Travel Guide: 8 Things to do in Taghazout, Morocco
I’ll start with surfing, of course, but I promise there are some other cool activities to do in this little town besides riding the waves! Here are some unmissable things to do that I had to add to my guide to Taghazout:
1 – Surf, eat, sleep, repeat
Let’s find out all about surfing in Taghazout! There are numerous surf beaches, surf houses and surf schools in this little fishing village. In fact, there are so many cool surf spots that I made a list of the best ones below for you, sorted by experience level:
- Devil’s Rock (beginner) – probably the most popular spot for beginner surfers and also a super fun, chill spot for intermediates too! Probably my fav spot.
- Panoramas Beach and Panoramas Point (beginner and intermediate)
- Banana Beach and Banana Point (beginner and intermediate)
- Crocodile/Crocs Beach (beginner)
- K17 Beach (beginner)
- Hash Point (intermediate)
- Mysteries (intermediate)
- Killer Point (advanced)
- Anchor Point (advanced)
- Boilers (advanced)
By the way, most surf houses / surf camps in Taghazout offer surfing lessons in their stay packages as well. So if you’ve never surfed but want to give it a try here, this is the perfect opportunity!
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2 – Lay on the beach under the sun
In case you’re not the adventurous type and don’t feel like taking on the surf, just laying on the beach and vibing is a pretty popular activity as well around here!
Although some beaches are a bit rocky and “unfriendly” to tanners, if you walk along the coastline you’ll surely find an ideal spot to lay down your towel.
For example, avoid Taghazout Beach (the main beach of the village) as it’s rocky and not at all sunbathing-friendly, as it’s mostly a fishing beach. Instead, I’d recommend Panorama Beach – you can rent a lounge chair + umbrella for around 30 Moroccan Dirham (3.30 US$) on its large stretch of golden sand.
3 – Sip a smoothie or some mint tea at a beachfront cafe
What better way to start your morning than at a beachfront cafe to grab a coffee, fruit smoothie or some mint tea? Here are some cool cafes with ocean views to check out during your trip (some of them are located on the cliff, how awesome is that?!), great for breakfast or lunch:
TIP: Obviously you can also go to a cliff or beachfront cafe for lunch or sunset, it’s not just a morning thing! The ocean views are beautiful anytime of day!
4 – Do some yoga in Taghazout
Yep, yoga is a pretty popular activity around here and most Taghazout surf hostels and camps offer it in their all-inclusive packages. After all, what could be better than a little bit of stretching after a full day of surfing? All while admiring the sunset, why not?!
In case your chosen accommodation doesn’t offer this, you can join the yoga classes at other hotels. Or, even better, I recommend the classes at Amouage or at Surf Paradise Morocco – they take place on their rooftop overlooking the ocean – what could be a more beautiful way to end the day than this?
The price for 1 yoga lesson is around 100 DH (11 US$).
5 – Explore the town
As I mentioned before, Taghazout village is really cute, full of colourful, whitewashed buildings and winding streets that all seem to end up at the beach. A walk around town is an excellent idea if you want to soak up some Moroccan culture and just enjoy the chilled local vibe of the place. Wander around, admire the ocean views, stop for a coffee in a cute cafe, head up to the skate park and watch the local riders do their thing – there’s a lot to see and do here, I promise!
6 – Go shopping
While wandering on the narrow streets of Taghazout, you’ll be pleased to find numerous small shops full of authentic Moroccan items. I’m talking about everything from rugs, bags, clothes, jewellery and, of course, lots of surf-related items! While you’re there, you’re sure to find some souvenirs to bring back home as well.
RELATED READ: Where to Stay in Marrakech, Morocco – Best Areas, Hotels and Riads
7 – Go on a trip to Paradise Valley
Have some time to spare? An awesome idea would be to visit Paradise Valley, also known as one of the most popular day trips from Taghazout for both tourists and locals! You probably have no idea what to expect here, but Paradise Valley is a true hidden gem, trust me! Paradise Valley is 30 minutes away from Taghazout by car, then you can hike around the valley, do some cliff jumping or just relax at the stunning natural pools. Pretty awesome, eh?!
Most accommodations can arrange this kind of excursion for you; some even organise group trips to Paradise Valley once a week for their guests. If your hotel doesn’t offer them, you can ask if they know another group that you can join. If not, Surf Paradise always has these trips going!
Alternatively, you can get a taxi from Taghazout town centre or if you have a rented car, you can drive there yourself, just follow Google Maps.
Another option, you can book this organised excursion online here. They offer pick-up and drop-off.
TIP: Make sure you bring LOTS of water with you, your SPF (the valley is pretty hot and sunny, trust me) and an underwater camera if you want to do some cliff jumping.
8 – Day trip to the longest wave in Imsouane
This was by far my favourite day trip! An hour north up the coast, you’ll find a charming, sleepy fishing village called Imsouane. I imagine that it resembles what Taghazout was like 10 years ago, with only a few hostels, fresh seafood food stalls and surf rental shops. Even though the vibe here is super relaxed, the secret is out… Imsouane is home to the longest wave in Africa! Longboarders will love this mellow right-hander that stretches for 800m! It’s a point break, so there is hardly any paddle out to get to the line-up. Just a walk down the beach back to the break to take the ride all over again!
You can book your shuttle bus from Taghazout to Imsouane right here. Prices start at 12 US$ for the one-way trip.
Best organised tours to and from Taghazout
Although most activities and tours in the city can and usually are organised by your accommodation, I have still chosen some tours for you to choose from, regardless if you want to visit Taghazout as a day trip or do some of the fun activities around it:
- Private Surf Lesson in Taghazout
- Sand Dune Trip with Lunch – you’ll have to reach Agadir for this one, 13km away from Taghazout; but the sandboarding is definitely worth it. It’s like snowboarding, but on the sand!
- From Agadir: Sunset Camel Ride
- Taghazout Horse Trekking
- Paradise Valley Trip
- Half-day tour to explore the amazing village of Taghazout – in case you want to explore Taghazout as a day trip from Agadir
- Agadir city tour from Taghazout
Taghazout accommodation
When it comes to accommodation in Taghazout, you have various good choices. You can choose between a surf camp/hostel or a normal hotel. I’ll explain everything you need to know about where to stay in Taghazout below:
TAGHAZOUT SURF CAMPS
Personally, I think dedicated surf accommodations (hostel or camp) are a great idea, especially if you want to spend chilled days in town, on the beach and you’re all about catching some waves. Most of them offer complete packages that include accommodation, meals, yoga classes, surfboard rental and lessons as well, plus transportation to and from the beach spots. I mean… how easy is that? Plus, most of them organise day trips to Paradise Valley at least once a week.
NOTE: Some of these camps also offer accommodation only as well if you want to ditch the surfing part, just check with them beforehand.
There are various accommodations like this, all different from each other in terms of style and budget. Here are my top recommended ones:
- Amouage by Surf Maroc
- Dfrost Almugar Surf and Yoga
- Paradis Plage Surf Yoga & Spa
- Sol House Taghazout Bay Surf
- The Yogi Surfer
- Surf Taghazout
- Amayour Surf
- Dar Surf
- Munga Guesthouse
- Surf Berbere
- Hashpoint Surf Camp
TAGHAZOUT HOTELS
Of course, there are also regular hotels in town that don’t offer surf packages. Here are some of my hand-picked recommendations:
LUXURY. Hyatt Place Taghazout Bay
MID-RANGE. Apparthotel Eden Beach
BUDGET. Sun House Morocco
APARTMENT. Aftas House Apartments
Where to eat in Taghazout, Morocco
In case your hotel package doesn’t include meals, I’ve made a list of good places to go for breakfast, lunch and dinner! And even if your accommodation does offer meals, I still advise you to go out for dinner on some days, there are some very good food places around. And yes, the local food is SO good! Here are some notable restaurants to check out:
- L’Auberge – One of the best restaurants around, with very good food and friendly staff. Perfect for a romantic date, right on Taghazout Beach;
- Cafe La Paix – for Moroccan dishes and a great laid-back vibe;
- Le Spot – awesome pizza and huge pasta portions;
- Sunset – The place to go in Taghazout for burgers;
- Dar Josephine – Great menu and fairy lights make it perfect for a date night;
- World of Waves – amazing breakfast bowls and a very Instagrammable place overall;
- Windy Bay Cafe – smoothies, burgers, pizzas and more.
How to get to Taghazout, Morocco
Even though it may seem complicated at first, trust me, getting to Taghazout is very easy!
I’ll explain your options below:
BY PLANE
The closest airport to Taghazout is Adagir. Then you can reach the town after a 40-minute drive by shuttle bus. Or you can take a taxi for around 300 DH (33.50 US$).
There’s also the option to fly into Essaouira, but it’s a bit further away from Taghazout (142 km, travel time 2 hours 20’ by private car or taxi). Or Marrakech Airport (the main international airport of the country), but this one is even further away – 274km, travel time 3 hours and a half by car or taxi. But if these two airports are your only options, rest assured that it’s totally doable, you’ll just spend a little more time on the road.
I recommend you to search for flights to and from the nearby airports on Skyscanner.
BY SHUTTLE BUS
From the airport (or if you’re already somewhere in Morocco), I recommend using the Souk to Surf bus. The minibuses will take you to and from Taghazout and the surrounding cities and airports. Check out their website for up-to-date price options and available routes. They’ll transport your luggage free of charge and the drivers speak very good English.
BY CAR
The most convenient way to travel in Morocco is by renting a private car. This will offer you endless opportunities to plan your itinerary, especially if you want to spend some more time in this country. This way you won’t need to struggle with finding a taxi or shuttle bus to get you to Taghazout or other places on your route. I recommend checking for the latest prices and offers for rental cars here.
WAIT – Doesn’t everyone get sick in Taghazout?
You might have heard that a lot of people get sick when they visit Taghazout. Sadly, I have to warn you that this is completely true. When we first arrived in Taghazout, both Guga and I got really sick. At first, we thought it was food poisoning, but the more people we met, it seemed that EVERYONE was suffering from the same sickness. At least 90% of the people we met said they suffered from symptoms similar to food poisoning (vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness), lasting anywhere from 1-3 days. Personally, I recovered quickly after a day, but Guga was bed-bound for 3 days. This left us asking, what the hell is it that is making everyone so sick?
After a bit of research, we learnt that Taghazout has a serious sewage problem. Raw sewage is dumped directly into the ocean and depending on the tide, it can wash up to the surrounding beaches. Seriously, I can’t stress this enough, DO NOT SWIM IN THE BEACHES FOUND DIRECTLY IN TOWN. This is a serious health issue that desperately needs to be properly looked into.
FAQs & My travel tips for visiting Taghazout
Now that you know all there is to do, see and taste in Taghazout, it’s time for some practical info and tips that will help you when visiting the city:
Why is Taghazout so popular for surfing?
First of all, because this coastline town has AMAZING waves and perfect weather. But probably the one thing that made Taghazout a top surf spot is the fact that the peak surfing season here takes place during European winter. So it has become an excellent place to switch the cold for the Moroccan warmth!
Taghazout weather
Taghazout has pleasant weather all year round – from 20 to 25°C. The hottest month is August with an average of 32-33°C. The coldest month is January, with an average temperature of 19°C. Which is still pretty good! And because the village has a semi-arid climate, it also means you won’t get much rain.
Best time to surf in Taghazout/Morocco
The surf season in Taghazout takes place from September to April, with November and December being the peak months for this activity – so this is the most recommended time to travel to this place. Outside of the season (aka during the European summer), you won’t get any big waves, unfortunately. And you’ll also find the town to be quite crowded with tourists.
Is Taghazout safe?
Yes, Taghazout is safe, but I’d always recommend being streetwise (avoiding dark alleys at night, for example). Crime and theft CAN happen. But if you’re careful about it and you don’t leave your belongings unattended while you travel, you’ll find this destination to be very tourist-friendly. After all, most of the village’s economy is based around tourism, so you’ll find the locals are very welcoming to travellers. If you’re a solo female traveller, you might encounter some uncomfortable cat calling at times. This is easily avoided by dressing modestly.
My most important travel tips for Taghazout
- Taghazout doesn’t have any ATMs. Nope, not even one! Because of this, I recommend taking cash with you. Otherwise, you’ll have to drive 5min to Aourir, also known as Banana Village, where the closest ATM is located.
- If you book a surfing package with rooms, meals, transportation, yoga and equipment included, you won’t need to spend much money on much else, making Taghazout a not-so-expensive travel destination in Morocco.
For example, the cost of a 7-nights surfing package for beginners with breakfast and lunch included as well as equipment and coaching can be around 420 to 470 US$ depending on your chosen hostel or camp. - Alcohol – There’s not much alcohol to be found around town unless you’re staying in a surfhouse that has a license to sell it (Surf Maroc, Sol House and DFrost are some examples). Morocco is a Muslim country so alcohol licenses are limited and public drinking frowned upon.
- Don’t stress TOO much about what you’re going to wear. Although Taghazout is Muslim, the locals are used to seeing tourists in their beachwear. You can wear shorts, sunbathe in a bikini, etc, with no problems, just make sure you don’t wear only that when you’re going to a restaurant in the town centre, for example!
This was my complete guide to Taghazout, Morocco! In this post, I have told you everything you need to know about this amazing place, from the best things to do, where to stay, where to eat, find the best surf and lots of precious information about how to get here from the nearby airports. In short, you should have everything you need for planning your trip here, and more!
People from all around the world travel to Taghazout for surfing, making it one of the best water sports destinations in all of Morocco. If you’re one of them, I wish you lots of fun during your Taghazout holidays, I’m sure you’re gonna love it!
And if you’re planning to travel to more destinations in Morocco (totally recommended!) such as Marrakech, for example, I recommend clicking here to find all my posts about this wonderful country.
xoxo,
Melissa
Want to know more about travelling to Taghazout?
- Check out all my Taghazout Travel Guides here.
- Need to book your flights? Head over to Skyscanner!
- Time to book your boat to get to the Islands? Head over here.
- Not get travel insurance??? Get it – it’s not a hassle you want to risk!
- Don’t forget to download my nifty Google Maps Guide for your trip to Taghazout so you don’t miss a thing!
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