Taghazout Travel Guide
Taghazout is Morocco’s serene fishing village turned surf haven and co-working hotspot. It’s laid-back vibe, sandy beaches and digital nomad-friendly accommodations, this hidden gem is perfect for those seeking a balance of work, adventure and relaxation.
Taghazout was easily our favourite part of Morocco from our first trip in 2017 and we were amazed at how different but the same things are in 2025! Read on to discover how times have changed this little beach town.
Beaches in Taghazout
Taghazout is only a small village, but it’s flanked by glorious beaches.
Taghazout Beach — In the village itself, is the small bay of Taghazout Beach. The beach is lined with blue fishing boats who bring their daily catches back to sell here. The waves here tend to be flatter, good for swimming and paddle boarding. It’s been rumoured that the water here is less clean due to being directly down from the village, but we’re not sure how true it is.
Panorama Beach —Less than a 5-minute walk out of the village is the expansive Panorama beach which literally goes for as long as the eye can see. This beach is often busy with surfers near to Taghazout. There’s a boardwalk stretching for 6km along the beach connecting Taghazout to Tamraght. There’s been a recent spurt of construction in the area with flashy chain hotels springing up along the boardwalk.
Other Beaches — It doesn’t take long to find a deserted beach in Taghazout if you want some sand all to yourself. Just a 10-minute walk out of Tgahazout towards Anchor point is the quieter Bumjak Beach and another 20-minute walk will take you to the entirely deserted Madraba Beach.
Surfing in Taghazout
Taghazout is the ideal place to try surfing for the first time because of it’s consistent, beginner-friendly waves — I like to call it a good place for ‘soft surf.’ If you’re an experienced surfer, you’ll likely find the surf at Panorama Beach too mellow for your tastes. However, neighbouring Tamraght has some harder waves.
Before I went to Taghazout, I’d never surfed before and had no idea if I’d like it. For our first time surfing, we hired a surf instructor who showed us what to do. After one lesson, we were confident enough to hire our own surfboards and practice what we’d learned.
Surf Board and Wetsuit Rental — Surf board and wetsuit rental prices are affordable in Taghazout, so you don’t need to bring any kit with you. There are plenty of surf shops in town offering different qualities and prices to match. We rented our board and wetsuit for 80 dirhams per day from Ezequiel, who is right by the steps down from the village onto Panorama beach.
Surf Lessons —Taghazout is awash with surf instructors. Expect to pay upwards of €30 for 2-hour beginner surf lessons and more for private lessons.
Surf Camps — Many hotels in Taghazout and neighbouring Tamraght run week-long surf camps, usually including daily surf lessons, accommodation and full board. They look awesome, but can be pricey during high season. These are a great option if you want to maximise your time in the water with a surf instructor, but unnecessary if you plan to just try some casual surfing.
Best Time to Surf — It’s possible surf year-round in Taghazout, but the surf season typically runs from October to April, when the swells are at their peak. During this season, water temperatures are usually between 18-22°C.
Best Things to Do in Taghazout
We happily filled our 10 days in Taghazout with beaches, surf, walks, spas and pottering around. It’s an ideal destination for a laid-back holiday, as there aren’t many other sights or places to visit nearby.
Walk the Boardwalk from Taghazout to Tamraght
Another wonderful thing about Taghazout is the lack of roads. There’s a boardwalk skimming the edge of Panorama beach all the way from Taghazout to Tamraght with no road in sight. It’s a quiet and pleasant walk taking just over an hour one-way. Alternatively, you can rent a bike and cycle your way along.
Walk to Anchor Point
Head in the opposite direction and it’s a 30-minute walk along the beaches and easy scrambling to reach Anchor Point, a rocky outcrop with uninterrupted sea views. It’s not a particularly special walk but a nice alternate route to stretch your legs.
Tamraght Spa House
Morocco is famous for its hammams — steam baths where you’re scrubbed (really hard) to remove dead skin. Visiting the hammam is a weekly or fortnightly ritual of local Moroccan people and the Tamraght Spa House offers a tourist-friendly, spa-like environment for hammams and massages. Having previously tried a very local hammam during our first trip in 2017, I (Charlie) definitely recommend going a little more upmarket for a more relaxing experience.
Prices for hammams start at 300 dirhams for an hour and massages start at 350 dirhams for an hour.
Yoga & Wellness
Taghazout’s vibe is as much about wellness as it is about surf. There are yoga classes on at lots of place but Amouage Hotel is one of the most talked about in town. Yoga classes are 120 dirhams (€12) to join and options include flow, yin, rise and more.
The Amouage Hotel also offers massages starting at 250 MAD (~€25) for a 30-minute back massage in their small basement treatment room. It’s a good option if you’re looking for a quick, fuss-free massage, but not as luxurious as a trip to the Tamraght Spa House.
Paradise Valley Day Trip
A short trip inland takes you to Paradise Valley where you’ll find palm groves, natural pools and waterfalls. The valley is a 45-minute drive from Taghazout making it an easily accessible day trip, but as such that means quite a few travellers head out there for a hike and a swim.
Where to Stay in Taghazout
SunDesk Co-Living and Co-Working
Taghazout’s SunDesk is a dream for digital nomads. This co-living space blends productivity and community, offering stunning ocean views, cozy rooms and a fully-equipped co-working area.
What makes SunDesk special, perhaps unique among co-working spaces, is that it’s designed in a way that encourages authentic social engagement between travellers from many different backgrounds. The 10-day minimum stay and the daily breakfast on the terrace — with fresh bread, olives, eggs, fruit salad and homemade amlou — is a big part of why this happens more at SunDesk than at most other places we’ve stayed.
SunDesk has double and single rooms within its main building along with the co-working space and terrace, a nearby second building with additional rooms and a very special studio and 1-bedroom apartment located a 3-minute walk down the hill on the beachfront. All the accommodation options are excellent.
SunDesk Accommodation Options:
- Double Room: €55 per night
- Studio Apartment (with kitchenette & balcony): €65 per night
- 1-Bedroom Apartment (full kitchen & double balcony): €110 per night
Other Accommodation Options
Best Cafes and Restaurants in Taghazout
You’ll want to try the traditional Moroccan dishes, from tagines to Friday couscous. Almost every meal is served with round Moroccan bread. A local specialty to look out for is amlou, a delicious almond, honey and oil paste, which is a break accompaniment to breakfast or bread.
Red Clay Cafe — Taghazout’s best cafe by a long shot. Their Moroccan-style burritos, homemade cinnamon buns and proper coffee (flat whites and iced americanos) are not to be missed. The cafe is entirely vegan, but trust us the food is the best in town. Open Wednesday – Sunday.
Surf Berbère — For the best tagine in town, head to Surf Berber. You’ll dine outdoors on the terrace, layered with patterened rugs, cushions and low tables around a fire pit. The atmosphere is great, though service can be slow when it’s busy — worth the wait if you’re not in a rush.
Windy Bay — This spot is perfect for Western comfort food like granola, pizza, and omelettes. They do serve tagines, though these are on the plainer side. What really makes Windy Bay stand out is its beautiful seafront seating, ideal for watching the waves and catching the sunset.
Pizza Hot — A no-fuss, budget-friendly option for a quick takeaway pizza. You’ll always get a piping hot, freshly made pizza. The owner isn’t big on conversation, but you’ll catch him keeping an eye on the sports playing on TV.
Where to Drink in Taghazout
Taghazout has a small selection of spots where you can buy alcoholic drinks. As Morocco is a predominantly Muslim country, alcohol isn’t widely available in all restaurants and the shops in Taghazout do not sell alcohol.
World of Waves — World of Waves his well-known for its amazing location with al fresco seating overlooking Taghazout Bay. We don’t rate the food, but it is a nice spot for a Moroccan wine or beer.
Amouage by Surf Maroc—Amouage’s hip bar and outside terrace is the perfect place for a sundowner. They serve beer, wine and cocktails in a stylish setting with panoramic views over the coast. It’s the kind of spot where you’ll want to linger long after the sun goes down. However, tables are often reserved for guests only and alcohol is only served when you order food, so you’ll need a reservation.
D’Frost Almugar — A chilled bar with a terrace overlooking the sea. It’s a popular spot for a round of beers amongst tourists.
When to Visit Taghazout
Taghazout’s year-round mild climate makes it a great destination any time of year. Outside the surf season, the climate is perfect for time on the beach and enjoying the laid-back vibe. If you’re here for the surf, October to April is the sweet spot when the surf conditions are at their best.
The village gets busy during the Christmas and New Year holidays. With daily temperatures often topping 20°C even in the middle of winter, it’s no surprise that Taghazout is a popular escape for winter sun seekers from the UK, Germany, and other chilly corners of Europe.
That said, we found the Christmas to New Year period a bit too busy for our liking. The village can feel crowded and it can be hard to get tables at restaurants. It is, however, not a big party place so expect a ‘tame’ New Year’s Eve. If you’re after a more relaxed vibe, we’d recommend visiting outside the peak holiday season.
How to Get to Taghazout
The nearest airport to Taghazout is Agadir Al Massira Airport, just a 50-minute drive from Taghazout. A taxi from the airport to Taghazout will cost approximately 300 dirham.
If you’re based in the UK, there are direct flights from London Gatwick and Manchester airports to Agadir, taking around 4 hours one-way. That paired with 20°c days in December and January makes Taghazout the perfect winter escape!
Travel Tips for Taghazout
Cash and ATMs
Taghazout still mainly operates on cash with only a few of the higher-end hotels and restaurants accepting card. This is partly due to high card fees. Two ATMs are now available in the village, so no need to stress about withdrawing money in advance.
ATM withdrawals using our Monzo card offered the best exchange rate compared with exchanging at Agadir airport and our local currency exchanger in the UK. Other travellers told us they were stung by their bank’s withdrawal fees at the ATMs, whereas Monzo offers £200 fee-free withdrawals every 30 days.
Packing Essentials
Bring sunscreen, hand sanitiser, comfortable shoes, flip-flops, swimwear and a few layers for cooler evenings. Whilst day time temperatures in December and winter months are upwards of 20°c, the evenings cool down to around 13°c.
Cultural Etiquette
Clothing: Taghazout is more relaxed than other parts of Morocco, but it’s still a conservative country, so dressing modestly is a sign of respect. Swimwear and bikinis are normal on the beach, and relaxed beachwear like shorts and t-shirts are common around the village. However, when visiting shops, restaurants, or cafes, it’s a good idea to cover your shoulders and knees to respect local customs.
Haggling: Haggling is normal and warmly embraced in Morocco! Except to haggle with shop owners selling ceramics, rugs, clothing and similar, as well as with local vendors selling wares around town. A good rule of thumb is to aim for about a third of the original price quoted. For smaller items like handmade bracelets or trinkets sold by street vendors, the prices tend to be less inflated, so you might not need to haggle as much.
Alcohol: Morocco is a Muslim country and alcohol is not widely available in Morocco as Islam prohibits the consumption of alcohol. Public drinking is considered culturally inappropriate and you should not drink on the beaches or streets. However, licensed hotels, bars and restaurants in tourist areas do serve alcohol to visitors on their premises. There are no shops selling alcohol in Taghazout, but you can buy alcohol at the supermarket in Agadir.
Drinking Water
Tap water is not safe to drink in Morocco. You should use bottled water for drinking and for brushing your teeth. If you stay at SunDesk, they have filtered water taps in all their accommodation to refill your drinking water.
Food Poisoning
Like the rest of Morocco, food hygiene is not particularly good in Taghazout and food poisoning is common. Stick to hot, freshly cooked meals, and steer clear of salads or anything that doesn’t look freshly prepared. It’s a good habit to always wash or sanitise your hands before eating — especially if you’ve been in the sea or have given one of the many friendly street cats a stroke (it’s hard to resist them!)
Stay Safe
Taghazout is generally safe, but keep your valuables secure, especially when out on the water or in crowded spots. Many of the surf rental places will look after your valuables for you, but we’d recommend leaving them in your hotel and only taking the small amount of cash you need.
Taghazout is one of our favourite places in Morocco because it feels so safe and laid-back. Whilst it’s common to be followed in the medinas of Marrakech and other Moroccan cities by local men hoping to make a few dirham, this isn’t the case in Taghazout. There are a handful of hopeful mint tea sellers on the beach, but they’re friendly and unthreatening.
Taghazout is the perfect blend of charm and convenience. Whether you’re here to catch waves, immerse yourself in a digital nomad community or simply soak in the Moroccan sun, this coastal retreat won’t disappoint.
