For more than 30 years, Morocco has been a staple of the winter wave-riding scene, and there are well-documented surf spots from Casablanca all the way down to Agadir. Essaouira is the most attractive town on this coast, and its beautifully preserved (and Unesco-protected) medina and castle walls, overlooking the sea, have drawn a stellar cast of visitors, from Jimi Hendrix to Kate Winslet. Small two-bedroom riads – traditional courtyard houses in the medina, in need of complete renovation – start at £55,000.
More dedicated surfers should look south beyond Cap Ghir, where climate and geography combine to produce the best waves. Since the late 1960s, Taghazout has been a focal point for visitors. Nearby is Anchor Point, the most famous break in Morocco, where ocean swells coming down from the northwest wrap around a rocky promontory to produce a wave that can unfurl for half a mile. Since 2001, Taghazout has been designated a key resort for development in King Mohammed VI’s Vision 2010, designed to boost tourism numbers to the country by 500%. The development means western-style amenities (including two golf courses). Two one-bed flats on the beach, offered as an investment package, cost £67,000. Admittedly, this is not a 12-month surf destination: summer’s searing heat is usually accompanied by flat seas. But come January, when British surfers back home are head-to-toe in neoprene, it’s a part of the world that makes perfect sense. |
