Morocco has a big surf scene. Situated just south of Europe it makes an easy and cheap surf getaway if you want to surf in Africa. Surfers has been coming here for years because there is a good infrastructure for travellers. It is pretty cheap and nowadays there are tons of surf spots and even surf camps to pick from.

The main place to be is the former fishing village of Taghazout which now functions as the surfing capital of Morocco. Go here to hook up with other surfers though that means a heavy line-up. Go on a surfari up or down the coast to escape some, but not all, of the crowds. Find a list of some of the surf camps in Morocco under Surf Camps in Africa.

The Waves in Morocco

The main season in Morocco is from August through to March with the better waves in November to February. Except if you go to the surfing spots north of Essaouira then you pretty much can surf year round and you’ll might even have a better chance to catch good waves here in the summer months.

Remember your wetsuit as the water gets pretty cold around here. Sometimes down to 10 Celsius.

Morocco sure is a safe bet for your surfing trip, but if you really want to get the African vibe, Morocco is not the place for you. It is more the Middle Eastern and Arabic than the sprawling African culture you will find here. But have no doubt about making Morocco with Agadir (6 kilometers from Taghazout) your entry point to Africa. Because plain tickets are cheap and the real Africa awaits just south of here.

Maybe you’ll start out in Morocco, but then you might want to rent a car and go south to Western Sahara, Mauritania or even Senegal.

Go South with Your Surfboard

Even though the Moroccans claim that Western Sahara is a part of Morocco, UN and the rest of the world disagree. Western Sahara is an occupied country, but none the less this country south of Morocco is a perfect place to start you African surf adventure.

Here you will find lots of surfable spots and a more African vibe whenever you are not in the water. Well, if you have the time, continue further south through undiscovered Mauritania and epic Senegal.

Look out for…

Not much to look out for here except the cold waters. And of course, some poor locals have found out that all the surfers are loaded and often leave their valuables on the beach – tempting.

Visa to Morocco

Most people won’t need a visa to stay in Morocco except residents from some African and Middle Eastern countries. Only if you decide to stay for more than 90 days it is important to achieva a visa, as it is illegal to stay longer, and it will cause you a lot of trouble. These visas for more than 90 days stay are avaiable when in Morocco.

Morocco Surf Spots:

Taghazout and around: The coast is spotted with mapped breaks all the way from Essaouira and down past Taghazout. You will have no trouble finding waves here. Only problem can be the crowds. Check out the links below if you decide to go here.

Northern Morocco: You can cross from Europe to Morocco with a short ferryride and all down the coast you will find surf spots perfect for ripping – even in the early summertime here in Northern Morocco. Check out the links below.

Southern Morocco: Sure the mapped spots are not as plentiful as you venture further south from Taghazout but that does not mean that there is no spots – it only means that the crowds are less claustrophobic. Plus you get a feeling of being an explorer if you go here. You might even want to continue down the coast and keep crossing borders.

Morocco Links:

www.globalsurfers.com
www.wannasurf.com
www.surfline.com

After your visit to Morocco please report back to GoSurfAfrica.com and let your experiences and photos benefit later surf explorers. Also contact us if you need more information about surfing in Morocco and we will try to help you and answer all your questions: contact@gosurfafrica.com.