Tamraght, Taghazout, Imsouane and Essaouira. (Nov 24)
With Emma being busy on back to back weekends, I grabbed the chance to head back to the beautiful North African country of Morocco for ten days.
What’s not to love about this place? The people, food, weather, beaches, waves, blue skies, temperatures, value and vibe – to name but a few.
It was a last minute trip, designed to explore four villages and surf towns along a stretch of wild Atlantic coast, heading northwards from Agadir. It may have been planned in double-quick time, but as soon as I landed on Moroccan soil, things slowed down a pace.
Here, they talk about “Moroccan time”…. and you really have to come here to feel it.
It was another low budget solo break, doing something that Emma isn’t too keen on – surfing. Well, my kind of “special” surfing where I do my very best impression of a sock in a spin cycle in a washing machine!
—- Tamraght —-
Being unplanned and unbudgeted, I elected to use hostels and transport methods that wouldn’t break the bank, and, as often happens on low cost trips, I found some fantastic places and met some of the nicest people you could wish to meet. Everyone here has buzz about them and a real zest for life.
After landing at Agadir, I headed for Tamraght, and a small hostel nestled in the hills about a mile from the local surf beach.
Devil’s Rock is where most people head for when they arrive. Several restaurants have sprung up on the rock, along with a handful of coffee shops and surf huts where you can hire boards and wetsuits.
I took my first surfing lesson just up the road at Anza when I came here in January and I thought I would be able to pick it up where I left… I was wrong, as my nickname proved!
On the first evening I ended up chatting to a chap called Andreas, who was sitting alongside me playing guitar; he was with his mate Tobias, both are from Germany. Shortly after we were joined by Jaseem, a French-Morrocan and Halid who just happened to be wandering past. Jaseem also had an acoustic guitar with him, and for the next hour or so the five of us sat around the table swapping stories, playing guitars, drinking tea and singing songs. The aroma of the local resin-based delicacy hung in the air.
The songs were often in French or Spanish, but so long as I knew the chords to play, it was fun to join in. It was the perfect way to end the first day, and got me straight into the Moroccan vibe.
The sunset was awesome.
—- Taghazout —-
There is a 5km long stretch of beach to the north of the Devil’s Rock that leads all the way to Taghazout, another well known surfers haunt. I could have grabbed a taxi, but with the warm sun, sound of the waves and sand between your toes I simply walked it every time – why wouldn’t you?
Taghazout is more established, with older buildings and a lot more happening. I spent a few days visiting here. It’s lovely and I can see why people return.
There are lots of hotels, hostels and eateries in Taghazout, which has grown in size over the years with a great reputation for surfing – but it still retains a lot of charm. There is a higher proportion of fly-and-floppers here, but they are of the more adventurous type. I particularly liked the smaller beach by the fishing village at low tide, a great place to relax and watch the world go by and it’s close to some great restaurants.
I hadn’t realised that there are two licensed bars to the North end of the town, Dfrost Almugar, and Sea-Side Restaurant. Both sell bottled and draft beer, including Casablanca, the local Moroccan beer. I had mistakenly thought that Agadir was the nearest place that could sell alcohol.
Over the two days here I tried them both out, watching sunsets with a pint of local brew in my hand. It was a magical way end to both days.
It was also nice to walk barefoot along the beach, and return after dark via the incredibly well maintained and well lit footpath. It all felt incredibly safe.
On my walks back home, I couldn’t help but notice that every half a kilometre or so there are security guards stationed at the entrance gates to the holiday complexes and hotels that have been built here. All are set back from the beach, low rise and tastefully designed so as not to resemble some of the monstrosities elsewhere in the world.
Of course I couldn’t walk past these posh pads without popping in and sampling their delights – officially, and as a non-resident of course. I was dressed smartly enough, and so was permitted access to the Hilton beach bar where I sat in comfort, and during the day was able to relax, read my book and drink a beer in peace, quiet and luxurious surroundings.
Bliss!
—- Imsouane —-
My next stop was Imsouane, and it was insane – one of the highlights of my trip;
…almost everyone I had met so far, especially the surfers, had raved about this place, telling me not to miss it – I could see why.
The whole place just screams ‘surf’ and the tiny village, which is obviously designed almost entirely for surfers, is ideal for a few day’s stop-over.
Nature’s raw beauty is more than enough to set this apart from many other places. It is famous for its 1km long wave, not that it made any difference to me, I’d be happy with a 5m long wave!
I rented a board and spent the best part of a day trying valiantly to join in with the surfer dudes, failing miserably. But it was wonderful simply to be there, in the water and giving it a go. I left with a smile on my face and will return one day.
On top of technique (which I don’t have), which can be learned and practiced (which I don’t do enough of), I discovered that an immense amount of upper arm strength is needed to “paddle” onto a wave in order to catch it just at the right moment and then stand up… After several hours of repeatedly doing the same thing, I found there was absolutely no fuel left in the tank. On my final wave of the day I tried to push myself up, found that I couldn’t, and flopped back onto my board like I’d been shot. Luckily my board was on the right side of the wave so I glided into beach and rolled off. Tired beyond belief, but happy.
Days like this are just the best. I will remember it for a long time
To the left of Cathedral Point is one of the nicest beaches I’ve ever visited in my life. When the tide is out, the walk to the end of the beach is divine. Not a soul in sight, so peaceful and quiet.
When not surfing, or being mesmerised by the views, the food you can buy here is sublime; I had one of the most delicious vegetarian Tagines I think I’ve ever eaten in a lovely terrace restaurant called “Petite Surfer”, and on the second day I popped into one of the many fishing village shacks, where my fresh fish was cooked to perfection on a BBQ by the family members of the fishermen who had returned earlier in the day with a fresh catch.
—- Essaouira —-
I came here for half a day a few years ago, and promised to return when I could spend longer exploring this rather remarkable place. It has an atmosphere that is very special.
It is the antithesis of Marrakech – an antidote for stress.
Behind the imposing protective sea walls is a labyrinth of roads and alleyways leading to shops, restaurants, museums, art halls, yoga retreats and more. It is here that locals mingle with tourists and travellers keen to experience the magic of this city.
I had a great meal in Triskala, a tiny restaurant that caught my eye. With the rustic decor and soundtrack that accompanied the meal, it felt like I’d been transported back to the seventies. However, this is pretty typical of many restaurants here, so to be honest I was rather spoilt for choice over the three days.
There are so many small boutique shops selling their wares, along with quaint restaurants, many appearing to be family run with unique menus. Most are tastefully decorated and appealing to the eye (well mine at least). Yes, I am sure that some of the shops import stuff from elsewhere for tourists, but I had a genuine feeling that local craftsmen and women were still in abundance in this place.
There is none of the noise and hussle of Marrakech here, instead the whole place operates in a lower gear. Visitors are left to chose their own direction of travel, and a polite “non merci” is observed most of the time when approached by street traders.
And on every street corner you can find a coffee/tea shop, where there doesn’t appear to be any rush to move you on.
—- Essaouira night life —-
Almost by accident I discovered a scene I wasn’t actually looking for on this trip.
It was gone 10:30pm on the first evening, and after a busy day exploring I was going to call it a day. Heading back to the my lodgings I bumped into Philipo (Columbia), Obi (France), Jan and Adam (Czech Republic) as they were heading “out”. They insisted I joined them.
Well, if I’m honest it didn’t take too much to convince me to join them, and it ended up being the first of three nights discovering the more lively side of this place!
We found a great dive bar, (a bar with with no name – google maps = “unknown but cheap” at Rue El Ayachi, Essaouira), and a couple of great live music venues including Taros and Alma. It ended up being a late one, with me bailing out an hour before they returned at 4am.
The next couple of nights I slowed things down a pace, heading for a more sedate Jazz bar, called D’Jazzy. This fused the local moroccan style, with more a more traditional Jazz sound. The main barman (or owner, I can’t work out which), also doubled up as an occasional lead singer, and was really good, along with the talented musicians. On my final night I ended up sharing a table with David and Liz, a French couple, and Angela, a lady from Germany.
One bar I would recommend for a sunset drink, is Beytt Mogador, which overlooks the bay and when I was there, a tall ship was moored just in front which gave it a lovely feel.
—- The fishing port —-
I couldn’t leave this post without commenting on the famous fishing port.
It was just as vibrant as I remember from my last trip. Even more so this time, as I spent much longer wandering around and watching the boats come in to offload their catch.
I even got to take a backstage tour of the non public section of the port (for a small fee of course) and was able to wander the area where some larger vessels are under repair or construction. My guide Hashmi is an ex fisherman with a side-huddle of taking people who are interested around the restricted areas. He is incredibly knowledgeable and pleasant. Of course we had to grease a few palms to gain access.
I could say so much more about Essaouira, including the many fantastic restaurants, but one which is worth a mention is La Licorne, which was great quality and an even better price. But like I said a little earlier, they all appear to be great, and there are so many to chose from.
So, all in all a fabulous trip to a wonderful corner of the world. I met some lovely people and had a great time exploring the region. Very sad to be leaving, and it shan’t be long untill I return.
I did most of this on a bit of a budget too. So details in the next section.
Small World
Well, on my second morning at Essaouira, I left my lodgings at exactly the same time as a lady who I now know to be Rachel. She had just popped in to take a look at it for a potential future visit with her husband Ian.
We got chatting and discovered that back home, she lives in the same English coastal town in Cornwall as one of my best mates Dave. Not only that, but he also happens to be her Physiotherapist!
Now there is a small world.
Additionally, when swapping ideas of places to visit we found another connection.
When looking for the geotag/address of a picture I’d taken at one of the bars I had visited, she saw a lady she knows who was in the group of people I was with last night!
The world can be very small indeed!
The tale of the lost trousers
When I left Tamraght heading north, I realised I had left a pair of cotton trousers behind, they were hanging on the door of my dorm. Now what I love about traveling is the people you meet. Most people step up and help out fellow travellers when in a spot of bother or need a favour. This was one of those occasions.
Jakub, a digital nomad who I’d met in the hostel called me after he’d found my trousers hanging on a door. Without hesitation he and one of the hostel staff, Brahim hatched a plan to get them returned to me.
Jakub popped them into a “Sac Bleu”, and dropped them off at a local supermarket, not far from the minibus pick up point so I could collect them when passing through on my southbound journey to the airport on my last day. Worked like a dream.
Jakub is a Czech national with Peruvian residency (which is where his girlfriend lives), and like a handful of travellers I have met over the years I have a feeling we will meet again.
Hints and Tips
I did this on a very low budget as I was traveling on my own.
I stayed in hostels and a small private room in order to keep costs down. Indeed the whole trip worked out ridiculously cheap. What I saved on accommodation, I spent on surfing, restaurants, wine and beer.
Flights: WizzAir – flights £17.99 each way, extra £27.75 per flight for an additional trolley bag (rucksack).
Transport: https://www.souktosurf.com – Transport whilst in Morocco from Tamraght, Tagazhout, Imsouane and Essaouira and then back to Agadir airport. Very competitive prices and for me always on time. Book a guaranteed seat on a minibus. Prices on website.
Accommodation:
- Atlantic Vibes Hostel in Tamraght – £12.50 per night including breakfast. Super staff, great breakfast, lovely rooftop seating area with views over the ocean and sunsets.
- Cathedral Guesthouse Imsouane – £6.69 per night – no breakfast, but very comfortable. I got free upgrade to private room with double bed.
- Giraffe Hostel Essaouira – £10 per night including breakfast. Basic but clean, and very central. Lovely kind and helpful staff.
Surfing – Board and wetsuit hire 100MAD (£7.93)
Enjoyed meeting you in Essaouira. Will follow your travels and hope to duplicate, thanks!