Surf Taghazout surfing holidays in Agadir Morocco for backpackers
I was getting bored of doing the usual Ski trip each year in Europe. Sure, I love Skiing but I fancied doing something a little different, but with the same kind of adrenaline fuelled adventure.
After Surfing in Hawaii, Wales, Cornwall, Australia, New Zealand and California I wondered if it would be possible to arrange a Surfing trip just like my annual Ski trip for around the same price?
After searching around I quickly noticed that the UK was not appealing (I’m British wanted something more exotic) and the prices in Portugal where rather high for what I could afford on a backpackers budget.
That’s when I got an email from a Surf Company in Taghazout, Agadir, Morocco offering low cost surf packages which were cheaper than the Ski packages. This immediately grabbed my attention, but the only problem was it was in Africa? Nothing wrong with Morocco, I just never visited this exotic part of the world before and any email I get from Africa fires a spam alert in my email box.
Morocco did sound both appealing and possible.
Because the price was cheap it did feel like a scam, but Of course, being Travel Dave the adventurous side of me kicked in and decided to go with the risk.
This is why I’ve decided to put together this blog post to help other travellers who are looking into Taghazout, Morocco for a surf trip and seeking information.
How to get to Morocco
Morocco is connected with loads of Budget Airlines flying into Morocco. When booked in advance you can grab a great price, The surf packages don’t come with flights so you will have to book this yourself. When done with plenty of time in advance you can make a dramatic saving.
Ryanair has flights to Agadir from: France, Belguim and Germany. Alternatively with a bus to Agadir you can fly to Marrakech from The Netherlands, Ireland, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belguim. Alternative airlines such as Norwegian air, fly from Oslo as well.
I flew Eindhoven to Marrakech return for €59.99 with Ryanair, then stayed in Marrakech for a night to explore the night market before heading to Agadir by bus. This was very cost effective and easy to do, the local bus network is modern and easy to arrange, the roads are very new so the journey was smooth. This allowed us to take in Marrakech for a night as well which was a lovely addition to the trip. Added a nice cultural element which I enjoyed exploring.
Getting to Taghazout
Once we arrived in Agadir bus station, we were warmly welcomed by a couple of Surfer dudes ready to drive us to the resort, already it started to seem like a great choice, we were having doubts on the bus if this place actually existed but the moment we arrived we landed in great hands and was made to feel very welcome.
They informed me that transfers to and from Agadir airport and Agadir bus station are included in the overall price and they even have their own taxi company to ensure guests are always safe. This was a wonderful welcomed addition as I was not expecting this, every little detail is taken care of from the moment you arrive in Agadir.
I travelled with a friend (Hello Jordy!) and we was put into a large group which arrived on the same day, it was with a mixture of a few solo travellers and one large group from Norway, we instantly got along and formed one big group which was great. This is important to mention as you can travel alone to Agadir then group up with other people or travel as one group to the resort, whatever best works for your situation.
The Surf resort area is called Taghazout which is a small drive from Agadir and you will find a small costal town focused around the large Surfing culture based here. You will find small convenience stores and surf shops, everything you would need for your surf trip.
Surf Taghazout
The Company I decided to go with was called Surf Taghazout, who offer a great affordable weekly surfing package. They have their own Beach Front Accommodation and can cater for a large variety of sizes from solo travels to 30+ groups. They have all the surfing equipment you would possibly need as well as surf instructors to teach a variety of different surfing levels, from beginners to pro’s.
Food with Surf Taghazout
One of the biggest worries, I first had was getting ill from the local food, I want to surf every day and getting ill was not an option. Surf Taghazout hire their own in house chef’s that work around the clock to cater for your group, breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have a set meal plan catered around your surfing sessions and I have to say I was highly impressed by the quality, after a full surfing session the meals were perfect for when you needed to refuel.
A mix of western and local dishes all with fresh ingredients, it was better than my food back home and no one in my group had any problems with what we eat, in fact we didn’t want to leave it was so good.
Surfing with Surf Taghazout
One area that stood out for me was how well organised the program was, the surf guides are locals and know the beach, people and area very well, they check the surf reports for you in the morning and make the best judgement on which beach we should head to or if we should take an alternative day instead if the waves are low. I did feel lazy as normally in the past, I would do this myself, but having trusty locals with inside information made the surfing even better for me.
The equipment on hand is all modern which surprised me as the wet suits and boards were practically new and where of great quality, I’ve been to surf schools where the wet suits looked older than me and it wasn’t a nice experience.
I’m personally at a professional level so after one day of getting back into the swing of surfing, I was allowed to get on with my own thing which I enjoyed. The surf instructors still kept an eye on me and noted areas of improvement which was very helpful.
My friend was a complete beginner and struggled at the start, but the instructors were extremely patient and helpful with him and they took it all step by step to ensure that improvement was done in stages. By the end of the week he was standing on the board so anything is possible (was very impressed have to be honest well done Jordy!).
The conditions of Taghazout beach were very impressive, for Morocco I did not know what to expect to be honest. To my surprise the water and beach was clean the waves were great and the water was warm, great conditions for surfing! Really is something for each level of surfing ability in Taghazout. As it was November, this is normally winter in Europe, but in Morocco the sun shined every day and it was funny returning to the Netherland with a tan.
Alternatives to Surfing in Taghazout
Surfing each day can be too much for a week straight, so incased the waves are low you can do a number of alternative activities, this is great for when you want to lay low, or your muscles can’t take another day of surfing so it balances out the week and makes it enjoyable.
One day we headed to Paradise valley which was a short drive away where you can find a cove and a selection of canyons to explore, if you’re brave enough you can climb up and jump into the lagoons below. Great chilling spot and beautiful scenery to explore.
You can also enjoy visiting a local hamam close by to the resort which is a large steam bath where you can opt in for a large guy to give you an extreme massage, it sounds scary, but after a week of surfing its just what you needed, prepare for your arms to be pulled out, it’s a must try! Worth checking out just so you can say you have been to a traditional Hamam.
You can also visit the Agadir market in the evening to pick up some local gifts to bring back home or some traditional snacks for the trip back such as some Moroccan dates.
Not only just Surfing, plenty of alternative things to do as well as lounging on the beach of course.
Overall expectations?
I was very impressed with the quality of the beach front apartments too, had everything you could possibly need in the room with air conditioning, equipped kitchens and refreshing showers, wasn’t expecting this standard of living because of the low price we paid which highly impressed me. Variety of different accommodation options based on how many are in your group.
Overall, I think because I went on the trip not expecting a lot I was extremely happy with how it ended up. The staff, the food, the accommodation and standard of service was all top notch and with all the surfing I managed to get in over the week it was a healthy get away as well which made a nice change.
Perfect destination for backpackers looking for a low cost budget get away on the cheap.
Thank you for reading my blog and I hope its helped you to make your decision on if you should travel over to Taghazout for a Morocco surfing holiday.
I would like to thank Surf Taghazout for such a great trip and I would like to point out that I was in no way associated with the company before I headed out there. However, I understand how tricky it is to choose a surfing company in Taghazout as there are over a dozen of them, happy to point them out.
I enjoyed staying with them so much I decided to email them and work out a discount for readers of Travel Dave, After a few emails they were delighted that I wanted to write a blog for them that anyone who is interested in making a booking can send them an email (can contact them here) with quote “Travel Dave” and you can arrange a discount on the final price. Happy Days! Hope that helps when making an enquiry.
I wish you all the best with your future Morocco Surfing trip and hope you have a lot of fun, enjoy!