Your First Surf Trip to Morocco: Beginner's Guide

Morocco is one of the best places in Europe’s reach to learn to surf. The water stays between about 17 and 21 °C all year, the sun shines most days, and the coast north of Agadir has sandy beaches with soft waves right next to some of Africa’s best point breaks. Flights from Europe take 3 to 4 hours from many cities.

This guide is for your first trip: where to go, when, how to learn, what a week looks like and how to stay safe.

Is Morocco good for beginners?

Yes, if you pick the right beach. The coast around Taghazout is famous for long right-hand points such as Anchor Point and Killer Point, but those are for experienced surfers only. Beginners learn on the beaches in between, where the waves break over sand and leave plenty of whitewater to practise in, such as Devil’s Rock in Tamraght and Crocro Beach.

What makes the area good for learning:

waves on most days of the year, with a beach that suits beginners almost every day
warm enough water for a 3/2 or 2 mm wetsuit
many surf schools and camps, so lessons and boards are easy to find
cheap and tasty food, and a relaxed village life

When to go

Any month works for beginners. Winter, from October to March, has the most swell and the best conditions at the points; summer has smaller waves, warmer water and more wind. Autumn is a good compromise: the swell is back, the water is still around 20–21 °C and the villages are quieter than at Christmas.

The month-by-month details, with water temperature and wetsuits, are in the best time to surf in Morocco.

Where to stay

Most surf trips here are based in Taghazout or one of the villages next to it. Taghazout is the best known and the busiest. Tamraght, a few kilometres south, is a Berber village with beginner beaches you can walk to, surf shops, cafés and a weekly market, and it is a little calmer in the evenings.

Getting there

Fly to Agadir. Agadir Al Massira airport is about 40 minutes by car from Tamraght. Surf camps usually include the transfer; otherwise a taxi costs around 300 MAD. See getting here.
Fly to Marrakech. More flights, then a bus to Agadir: about 3 to 3.5 hours with CTM or Supratours.

Check the visa rules for your passport before you book. Many nationalities, including EU and UK citizens, can stay up to 90 days without a visa.

Lessons, surf camp or on your own?

Learning on your own is possible, but slow and risky. You don’t know which beach works on which day, where the currents are, or what you are doing wrong. A few lessons at the start save a lot of time.

You have three options:

Lessons only. You stay where you like and book lessons with a local school. Good if you want freedom and already have a place to stay.
Surf camp. Lessons, transport to the beach, board, wetsuit, accommodation and food in one package. The easiest choice for a first trip, especially if you travel alone.
Surf guiding. For surfers who can already catch green waves. Not for a first trip.

Whatever you choose, ask how many students each instructor has. In a group of 6 to 8, the instructor can watch your waves and correct you. In a group of 15 or more, the instructor has far less time for each person.

What a week at a surf camp looks like

A typical day:

breakfast, then a drive to the beach that suits the day’s swell
a 2-hour lesson: theory and safety on the sand, then the water
lunch on the beach and free surf in the afternoon
back to the house for tea, maybe yoga, then dinner together

In the evenings, some camps go through photos and videos of the day’s surfing. Seeing yourself surf is one of the fastest ways to fix your pop-up and stance.

How fast will you learn?

Everyone learns at a different pace. Fitness, how much you swim, and how many hours you spend in the water all make a difference. As a rough picture of a first week with daily lessons:

The first days: paddling, the pop-up on the sand, then catching whitewater and standing up for the first time.
The middle of the week: standing up more often, riding the whitewater with control, starting to turn the board.
The end of the week: some people catch their first unbroken waves; most can stand up reliably in the whitewater.

Don’t expect to ride the points after one week. Expect to go home hooked.

Staying safe

Listen to your instructor about where to surf and where not to.
Sun: SPF 50+ on your face, and drink plenty of water.
Water: don’t drink tap water.
Currents: if a rip pulls you out, paddle parallel to the beach, not against it.
Insurance: get travel insurance that covers surfing.
Valuables: leave them at the house, not under a towel on the beach.

The Tamraght guide has more on health and safety, emergency numbers and local customs.

Before you book

Pick your dates and check the season.
Decide between lessons only and a surf camp.
Ask about group size, equipment and what is included.
Read the packing list and the pop-up guide.

Your first week in Tamraght

Travel Surf Nature is Hassan’s family-run surf camp in Tamraght. The Surf School package includes 2-hour lessons in groups of 6–8 at most, boards and wetsuits in good shape, a footage review every second evening, 7 nights with full board and the transfer from Agadir airport, for 490 €. See the surf lessons or send your dates and level on WhatsApp.