Adventure
TAGHAZOUT, MOROCCO
RIDE NORTH AFRICA’S BEST SURFING SPOTS
October to April is prime surf season in Taghazout, when
a consistent northwest swell creates some of the best
waves in North Africa. Accessible for all levels of surfer,
there are quality waves at reef, point and beach breaks
such as postcard pretty Panorama, a sheltered, sandy-
bottom break ideal for beginners.
Along with waves, there are dunes and ramps to ride
and a traditional souk to explore, so finding an active
pursuit in Morocco’s surf capital is no problem. A firm
favourite of European backpackers and surfers, the
former fishing village on the country’s southwestern
Atlantic Coast isn’t under the radar anymore (there’s a
Hyatt Place resort and the luxury Fairmont Taghazout
Bay opened in July 2021), yet it remains charmingly laid-
back and local.
Rent surf gear in town, and bring or buy skateboards to
ride the concrete waves at SkatePark Taghazout, built in
2017 by the non-profit Make Life Skate Life. Or take a trip
to the seaside city of Agadir, 12 miles south, to get boards
at Tamara SkateShop and to wander the city-within-a-city
Souk El Had, a traditional marketplace sprawling over 32
acres. End the trip on a high note: surf the dunes in Tamri,
27 miles north of Taghazout, on a sandboarding excursion.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL (US)
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Locals
enjoying a game of football on the
beach, Taghazout, Morocco; Downtown
Atlanta, as seen from the city’s
Centennial Olympic Park; a cafe in
Atlanta, Georgia, an epicentre of Black
entrepreneurship; breakfast of grits,
a biscuit and eggs with coffee at the
Flying Biscuit Café, Atlanta IMAGES:^ GETTY;^ AWLIMAGES86 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
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