In short
Taghazout was a fishing village; it has become the centre of Moroccan surfing. The change happened within a generation and is still visible: the old village street and the new developments of Taghazout Bay sit side by side without mixing.
The village occupies a slope between the road and the sea. Everything is walked. The surf breaks are spread over some fifteen kilometres of coast, north and south.
Arriving and getting around
Agadir-Al Massira airport is about forty-five minutes away by road. Marrakech is three and a half hours.
Local buses link Agadir to Taghazout along the coast. To reach the breaks, the surf camps run daily shuttles — the simplest solution, since the swell favours a different spot from one day to the next.
What it really costs
Taghazout is still cheap compared with European surf destinations, but it has grown dearer: surf camp packages with accommodation, lessons and transport are the norm and make up most of the budget.
The village has few ATMs; Agadir has more.
When to come
October to April: the season of Atlantic swells that brings the surfers, and the period when the serious breaks work.
Summer is quiet for waves, warmer, and suits beginners.
What nobody tells you
Anchor Point is a world-class wave, a long right over rock, and it is not a learning spot. Beginners go to Banana Beach or Crocodile, over sand.
The Atlantic water stays cool: a wetsuit is needed all year, thicker in winter.
The village is conservative despite its visitors: dress away from the beach matters, and alcohol is little available.
Paradise Valley, a gorge with natural pools half an hour inland, is the standard outing on flat days. The water level depends entirely on recent rain.