Visitor’s Guide to Tamraght — Morocco
Nestled between bustling Aourir (Banana Village) and the tourist town of Taghazout, Tamraght, Morocco is a quaint village with more chilled out vibe than its better-known neighbors. While it may be harder to find buzzing nightlife, Tamraght appeals to travelers looking to experience the pace of local life: surfing all day and sleeping all night. With houses built up the hillside overlooking the sea; there are plenty of places to relax and refuel, check the surf, and watch the sun gracefully fall into the sea. Two main streets make up the core of Tamraght, encased by two mosques which call to each other five times everyday. Small shops selling Moroccan flat bread and other essentials are dotted along the road, framed by houses with brightly painted doors and intricately decorated tile walls. This blog will detail everything you need to know as a visitor in this charming fisherman’s village turned international surf hotspot.
Food:
Moroccan food is in a league of its own. Colourful tajines, couscous dishes, pastillas, and several other North African delicacies are made fresh using local ingredients. Moroccan cuisine is a synergy of traditional Berber (the native people of North Africa) with influence from Spain & France. Local restaurants, as well as our amazing in-house chefs Boba and Omar buy ingredients daily and prepare fresh and nutritious meals for hungry surfers. All of the produce that is used in the area is grown in and around Aourir (which gets its nickname from the sprawling banana plantations behind the beach), and all the animal products are also locally sourced. Taking meals at Original Surf Morocco is always a good option with a healthy and balanced cuisine served with hospitality and mint tea, details on our meal packages can be found here.
Tamraght is known for its restaurants and bustling cafes, for those looking to eat away from camp. There are many restaurants catering to European travellers, some at local prices and some with European prices. There are a few restaurants on the coastal road N1 that have become OSM favorites, such as Lina Surf, Mona Cafe, and of course Babakoul. Eating at these places, visitors can expect low prices, healthy food, and great atmosphere. Lina Surf and Mona are famous for their chicken tacos and pizzas respectively, while Babakoul is more of a cafe preparing local favourites like tajine, and banana pancakes doused with amlou (peanut butter with Argan Oil). Examples of restaurants catering solely to tourists in the village are Let’s Be Healing Food and Le Happy Belly. You can expect vegan and vegetarian options at restaurants like this, and prices that are more European than Moroccan. There are several restaurants close to the beach, specialising in fish and tajine dishes. You can soak in the last bit of sunlight over Devils Rock while enjoying freshly caught fish at Resto Imouran or Chez Brahim just a fifteen minute walk from Original Surf Morocco.
Morocco is known for its mint tea, but bean aficionados can take comfort in knowing that there are many cafes serving barista coffee, as well as locally spiced coffee. Almost every restaurant or cafe you see would be happy to welcome you in for a caffeine fix, usually for no more than 1–2€.
Surf:
Tamraght boasts five breaks, all of which are a 20 minute walk from Original Surf Morocco. There are three beach breaks: from north to south they are La Plage 17 (KM north of Agadir), CroCro/Imouran and Devils Rock. These spots work best at high tide and are mainly sand bottom with a few rocks. All three breaks feature left and right hand waves, so goofy footers can get some frontside action after a pumping backhand session at one of the famous right hand point breaks in the area. With consistent northwest swell hitting the Moroccan coast from November to May, the sandbanks shift at these beach breaks and some work better than others depending on the latest storm. Beginner and intermediate surfers can always find a wave that suits them at these three spots; whether they’re pushed into the whitewash by our seasoned instructors to stand for the first time or back in the lineup hunting set waves. The beach breaks work in swell from one to four feet, with a slight offshore breeze or no wind. Heavy wind or swell makes these three beaches (like any other beachbreak) messy and blown out.
The fourth break is called Banana Point. As its name suggests, Banana Point is a right hand point break beyond a 10 metre rock cliff on the south side of picturesque Banana Beach. Banana Point has become a staff favorite over the years, because of its proximity to the camp and quality ride. Waves break beyond the cliff and send intermediate and advanced surfers into Aourir Bay on a spilling, playful right with some punch to it. Banana Point is the ideal place for intermediate surfers to try surfing a point break for the first time, because the drop is not as steep as Anchor Point or Killers and a deep bottom means that surfers are safe even at low tide when the spot works best. Banana Point can hold large swell (4–10 feet), and has been most memorably enjoyed at first light of New Year’s Day 2019 when Poseidon delivered a proper five foot and glassy swell with slight offshore spray coming off the top of the waves — not a bad way to fight off a hangover!
The last break in Tamraght is called Spiders and is for expert or kamikaze surfers only. Spiders is a slab that only works in swell larger than 4 foot at low or mid-to-low tide. It is located between Banana Point and Devils Rock, and can produce a draining, barreling A-frame that will provide rippers & shredders with some shade from the Moroccan sun while getting shacked.
Mindfulness and surfing are incredibly important. Surfers must know about where they are surfing, and our instructors are glad to guide guests through the best spot for them as they improve in their surfing. Spots like Spiders are not for 95% of surfers, and that’s okay because there are four other spots within a stones throw. Tamraght is a great place to surf, whether you’re a rookie or a experienced surfer.
Accessibility:
Getting around Tamraght, and the Moroccan surf coast in general is incredibly easy. There is a new six kilometre bike path from Devils Rock north to Taghazout along the beach that can be walked, biked or skated. The small size of Tamraght means that everything within the village including the beaches are walkable in a matter of minutes. The local bus system is efficient, with the #32 ALSA surf bus running from Agadir to Taghazout several times an hour for 5.5 Moroccan Dirham per ride (roughly .55 €). There are taxis that run along the coast and are also affordable — just lock in the price before getting in or make sure that there is a mileage metre running in order to avoid an unpleasant experience of negotiating or getting ripped off. Agadir International Airport and the central bus station are both accessible by taxi or bus, or by a competitively priced transfer pre-arranged with our driver to avoid any hassle.
Essentials:
Morocco is in North Africa. Islam is the state religion here. Arabic and Berber Amazigh are the official languages — both of which are widely spoken. These are all facts. Another fact is that Tamraght is incredibly safe, easy and laidback for foreigners. Most people speak French, English, or both and have welcomed surf tourism with open arms. The village has everything you need from an “essential” standpoint: a currency exchange, pharmacy, barber, food, shops, transportation, and Moroccan hospitality. Rubbish is collected, and of course there is running water for sanitation purposes — though we recommend drinking bottled water because of high chlorine content in the tap water. There are small shops selling anything and everything, snacks, drinks, electronics, bus tickets, you name it — you can find it in Tamraght. There are no bars or bottle shops in Tamraght, for that you must go to Agadir. Everything is inexpensive by European standards in Tamraght, with a kilo of mandarins costing around .5€, 10L of bottled water for 2€, and lunch in a cafe for 5€.
The vibe around town is very laid back. Since Taghazout is the surf & yoga tourist epicenter, it is a bit more hectic with vendors and activity. Aourir and Agadir are much more local, which can be overwhelming for tourists. Tamraght is the perfect mix, which makes it a special place for locals and visitors alike.
Things to do other than surf:
There is plenty for non-surfers or down days in the area. Agadir Province is a magical region, featuring natural beauties like Paradise Valley as well as cultural hotspots like the Wednesday Souk (market) in Aourir. Our guests have enjoyed hiking the mountains enclosing Tamraght, both with other humans and furry friends from the local shelter we support; Moroccan Animal Aid. Day trips are easy to Agadir, Taghazout or Essaouira, either with OSM arranged transport or free tips from our local staff on the most efficient way to reach each. Cleaning rubbish off the beach is a great way to give back to the ocean and show your appreciation for how lucky you are to be able to inhabit the beach and planet — after you surf take three for the sea. Going to a local hammam or spa is another great way to rejuvenate yourself while on holiday with either a scrub or a massage. For thrill seekers, ATVs, jet-skis, motorbikes and more are all available for hire in Tamraght.
Tamraght, Morocco is a special town. There is something for everybody, and everything for somebody. Drop us a line if you want to know more about anything we mentioned, or Tamraght as a whole. We’re excited to host you in this gem on the Moroccan coast and show you all the highlights firsthand!
