Long weekend in Taghazout —
the surf paradise 3h from Paris

The flight: Paris to Agadir is about 3 hours direct. Ryanair from Beauvais-Tillé, Transavia from Orly and easyJet from CDG offer regular connections from €35-44 one way. Searching in advance and avoiding school holidays, a return can come in under €100. Easily one of the best value-for-money escapes from Paris.

From Agadir airport to Taghazout, a taxi costs about 150-200 DH (15-20€) for 22 km and 25 minutes. The easiest option on arrival with luggage. The bus also exists with regular departures from about $6, but you first need to get to the bus station in town. For a long weekend, the taxi is your best bet.

Agadir (arrival) → Taghazout (base) → Tamraght → Paradise Valley → road trip Dagroud → Timlaline → Imsouane

You'll inevitably pass through Agadir on arrival. Personally it didn't grab me — it's a large seaside resort, rather impersonal, rebuilt after the 1960 earthquake, and lacking a bit of soul. You can spend a few hours there if you arrive early, for the market or a walk along the seafront, but if time is short I'd recommend heading quickly to the wilder coast to the north. That's where it really happens.

Taghazout is a small fishing village that's become one of the most well-known surf spots in Africa. Ochre alleyways, surfboards everywhere, cats wandering about, sunsets facing the Atlantic. It's close, accessible, and seriously good.

Everything is walkable. That's Taghazout's great strength. The centre, restaurants, surf shops, the seafront promenade. Drop your bag at the hostel and you barely need to move. Perfect for a long weekend.

02

Eating & surfing

The seafront promenade is the place to eat with a view. Small restaurants side by side, terrace tables facing the Atlantic. Windy Bay, for example, is slightly pricier than average but has a great beachside atmosphere — worth it for one evening. For genuinely local food at a lower price, head to Snack Tafoukt instead. It looks unassuming but the couscous and tagine are excellent and half the price of the promenade spots. And for shawarmas and wraps, Snack Sun Sea on the central square is unmissable.

For evening crêpes, no need to search for a specific address — there are small food carts dotted all around the village. Follow your instincts.

Surfing is THE reason to come here. The spots suit all levels and surf shops are everywhere in the village. We took lessons with Chasing Swell Surf School for about €10 — an unbeatable price-to-quality ratio. You can also hire a board and wetsuit by the day if you already have the level.

A short walk from Taghazout, the small village of Tamraght is worth a stroll. A surfer village, calmer, with a nice beach. There's a spot well-known for its cookies, a local bakery everyone talks about. Worth trying if you pass by.

Tamraght's skatepark is the best viewpoint of the whole stay for a sunset. Climb up, settle in, watch the sun drop into the Atlantic while skaters practise below. Beautiful and unexpected.

Our hostel organised an excursion to Paradise Valley and we joined. Well worth it: a narrow gorge cut into the Anti-Atlas mountains with natural pools of turquoise water surrounded by palm and olive trees. One hour from the beach and you're in a completely different world. The setting is stunning.

The drive itself is already spectacular: scenery that alternates between turquoise sea, rocky mountain and arid desert. We stopped at the colourful village of Dagroud — houses painted blue, yellow and white that cut sharply through the landscape. Then at the Timlaline desert to see caves and dunes dropping directly into the ocean — an improbable and magnificent image.

Imsouane is tiny, completely authentic, completely surf. A village set in a natural bay, lined with small fish restaurants and artisan surf shops. The atmosphere is even more laid-back than Taghazout, surfers from around the world sharing the waves of a bay famous for having some of the longest rides in Africa. We loved it.

For food: Chez Jolo for seafood, and café-restaurant Tamazight for a good tagine with a view over the bay. Both worth the detour.

We didn't do the tourist activities like quad biking, camel riding or donkey trekking — not really our thing, and with the scenery all around we honestly didn't feel the need.

The cats everywhere in the alleyways — Taghazout is full of them. The sunsets from the promenade every evening. And the evening ritual: a tagine, then filled crêpes from one of the little stands in the centre. We had them every night and it was consistently great.

Day 1: arrival, wander around Taghazout, first tagine and sunset from the promenade

Day 2: morning surf, Paradise Valley in the afternoon, beach club evening at Taghazout Bay

Day 3: Imsouane road trip via Dagroud and Timlaline

Day 4: Tamraght and the skatepark for the last sunset