Taghazout, Morocco –How’s the swell?” someone asks. I’m in Taghazout, one of the premier surf towns in Morocco. After gaining some surf experience in Indonesia and South Africa, I was eager to take classes again. So, I decided to head to Morocco to improve my surf skills and to escape the European cold. I stayed at the Surf Berbere surf camp in Taghazout, surfing almost every day! It was the perfect winter break. Here are some of my experiences, photos, and tips

Surf Camp in Taghazout: the ins and outs!

The Surf Berbere Surf & Yoga camp

Taghazout is a laid-back fishing village near Agadir. It’s a hassle free town with welcoming locals, good food, 300 days of sun, and of course, great surf and yoga. Although it has become quite popular, it managed to maintain its village-like feel with a limited number of guesthouses and hostels. People still greet you in the street and ask how the surf was.

In Taghazout, you can find Surf Berbere. Surf Berbere was founded by James and Tudor, two avid surfers from the United Kingdom, and is now one of the most popular surf schools in Taghazout. Occupying a great spot on the seafront, you can watch surfers riding the big Atlantic waves directly from your terrace.

Entrance of Surf Berbere – Surf camp Taghazout with Surf Berbere. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.

A typical day at the Surf Berbere surf camp in Taghazout! 

MORNING – Wake up with the relaxing sound of crashing ocean waves right outside your window. Move down to the Surf Berbere cafe to enjoy a delicious seaside breakfast, while watching the sun slowly appear behind the village, coloring the sky and ocean with a pinkish-golden hue. Pick-up your board and wetsuit at the surf shop, jump into the minivan and then head out with the surf crew in search for the best waves. Once you found them, warm-up in the white sand with some squads and stretches. After a short explanation on the beach, jump into the ocean to catch some waves under the guidance of the surf instructors.

Getting ready for another day of surfing!- Surf camp Taghazout with Surf Berbere. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.

AFTERNOON – Surfing is hard work, so after about two hours, it’s time for a lunch break on the beach with a sandwich, crisps, and cookies! Watch the camel drivers walking on the beach, enjoy a mint tea or simply read a book. After lunch, there is time for free surf or you can opt to go back to the hostel. In the afternoon, you can explore sunny Taghazout, have a massage or chill-out on your terrace before the yoga starts. The sunset Vinyasa yoga session on the rooftop is perfect for a post-surf stretch, improving your core strength and clearing your head.

EVENING – Finally, continue to the rooftop terrace to have a delicious three-course meal. Every night, the food is different, but always delicious. On some nights, a movie is played or there may even be a bit of a party!

That feeling when you were able to catch some waves! – Surf camp Taghazout with Surf Berbere. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.

What did I love about Surf Berbere and Taghazout?

  • The social and fun atmosphere! We met so many lovely people during the camp! People were also really encouraging in the water and complimented each other when someone caught a good wave.
  • The extensive breakfast buffet with fresh orange juice, tea, coffee, fruits, cereals, eggs, pancakes, avocado sandwiches and more!
  • The amazing sunset yoga sessions with Gill and Oliva, who were both very sweet!
  • The entire Surf Berbere crew was amazing: welcoming hosts (Rachel, Dan and Ashraf), the friendly and professional surf coaches (Elias, Youssef, Rashid and Mohammed), the cafe crew, the surf shop crew and the drivers.
  • Our beautiful private terrace with ocean view (it was so close to the ocean, the waves would sometimes reach the terrace!)
  • Lots of friendly dogs and cats to cuddle!
  • It’s only a 4-hour flight from Amsterdam to Agadir with Transavia or Easy Jet.
  • I felt completely relaxed, fit and healthy after the surf camp. It was truly the perfect winter break!
Happy surf face. – Surf camp Taghazout with Surf Berbere. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers

Points for improvement 

Can’t really think of anything big! Maybe start the surf lessons every morning with a brief introduction round of the guests and instructors (names and country) and maybe some extra blankets for the yoga class.

Sunrise breakfast! – Surf camp Taghazout with Surf Berbere. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.

Quick Q & A about my surf camp in Taghazout

  • How big is the surf group? This depends obviously. When I was there the surf lesson group varied from 2 persons to about 20 persons. If we had a bigger group, there were several instructors and smaller groups were formed according to your surf level.
  • What is the average age of the surf camp? I felt the average age of the surf camp attendees was late-twenties, early-thirties. The youngest attendee was around 16 and the oldest around 60.
  • What was the surf camp group like? It was a great mix of solo travelers, fathers & sons, small groups of friends and couples. Everyone got along well.
  • What do I need to bring to a surf camp in Taghazout? Nothing special: just basics like swimwear, sun screen, cap etc.
  • Can I take my valuables to the beach? Most people took their mobiles phones with them to the beach, although you could also leave them in the car.
  • Would you recommend the surf camp to solo travelers? Definitely! The surf camp is incredibly sociable as you will see everyone during the surf lessons, have lunch together, do yoga together, and then again meet at dinner time.
  • Do I need to be fit for the surf & yoga camp? Not really, but a basic level of fitness is handy. It’s a pretty intense week. Personally, I did 6 days of surfing and 6 days of yoga. However, I skipped some of the afternoon sessions.
  • Will I enjoy myself in Taghazout if I don’t surf? My friend Charlotte didn’t surf and still had a great time. You can simply read a book, relax, walk on the beach and do yoga.
  • Are there any parties during a surf camp in Taghazout? Apparently, Thursday night is the party night, but we missed this. We had a very sociable group and organized our own party at some point. However, generally everyone is pretty tired after a day of surfing and the lights go out early.
  • What’s the best time for surfing in Taghazout? For beginners, it’s pretty good all-year-round. However, for more experienced surfers, the best time to visit is somewhere from September to the end of April.
  • Will I be a pro-surfer after surf camp? Probably not ;) It takes quite a bit of time to become a good surfer. If you’re a beginner, you may be able to ride your first green waves during the surf camp. P.s. Check out how fellow Surf Berbere guest Patrik becomes a surfer in his funny YouTube vids.
Sunset yoga on the roof top of Surf Berbere. – Surf camp Taghazout with Surf Berbere. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.

Surf camp packages 

Surf Berbere offers three main packages: surf, surf & yoga and experienced surfer. I opted for the surf and yoga package.

Money and costs

Pretty much everything is included in the packages. You will only need extra money for the airport transfers, optional day trips and maybe souvenirs and alcohol. Please note that there are no ATM’s in Taghazout and credit cards are barely accepted. There is an ATM in Banana Village (about 10 minutes away by car) and Surf Berbere accepts credit cards for payment.

Cosy group dinners! – Surf camp Taghazout with Surf Berbere. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.

Where to eat in Taghazout? 

  • Cafe Sonya: seaside Moroccan cafe with delicious Moroccan omelet and calamari.
  • Windy Bay: popular cafe with pizzas and burgers
  • World of Waves: another popular hotel-cafe with fruit shakes and good coffee
  • Auberge: recommended by many people (we haven’t been there) offering a great variety of food
  • Terrase d’argana: delicious fruit shakes
Many cool cafes in Taghazout! – Surf camp Taghazout with Surf Berbere. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.

What to wear in Taghazout? 

It’s most appropriate to dress modestly in Morocco, but personally, I felt the villagers of Taghazout were quite relaxed about the dress code. Many female travelers wore shorts and had bare shoulders.

The ‘mysterious bug’ in Taghazout

During our visit, a ‘mysterious bug’ terrorized Taghazout: a stomach bug! It was the talk of the day and quite a few the people who visited Taghazout became sick somewhere during their stay. Symptoms include vomiting, stomach ache, and diarrhea, but only last for about 24 hours. It probably has something to do with the village sewage flowing out into certain areas of the ocean. Fortunately, they are busy building a new sewage system, so hopefully, it will get better soon. If you do get the ‘bug’, stay close to the toilet and drink a lot of water / ORS! Don’t let it affect your decision on joining a surf camp in Taghazout. None of the guests seemed to be really stressed about it. Charlotte and I didn’t get sick.

A few people from our surf camp group! – Surf camp Taghazout with Surf Berbere. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.

What’s the deal with alcohol in Taghazout? 

There is no shop selling alcohol in Taghazout. There are a few bars with an alcohol license such as Sol House and Amouage, but I heard drinks are quite expensive. We simply did a booze run to a liquor store in Agadir and had drinks on the Surf Berbere rooftop terrace. Of course, you can also go healthy all the way, and enjoy an alcohol-free stay ;)

Hey, that’s me! – Surf camp Taghazout with Surf Berbere. Courtesy of Surf Berbere.

What to do in Taghazout if you’re not surfing? 

  1. Yoga: Lots of yoga options in Taghazout! Surf Berbere offers daily sunset yoga sessions and twice a week a sunrise yoga session.
  2. Visit the village: Taghazout is small, but picturesque. It’s a lovely place to wander around, have a coffee at one of the cafes or do some souvenir shopping.
  3. Take a trip: you can do a day trip to Paradise Valley in the Moroccan High Atlas Mountains or do an afternoon trip to the Agadir souk.
  4. Enjoy wellness: There is a massage place in Taghazout, which looks pretty decent and offers massages for 200 dirhams. However, we opted to go to another nearby hammam called ‘Beautiful Spa’ for a massage, which we absolutely loved. The place is ran by Moroccan sisters and offers a hammam, massage, and manicures. It was very clean and professional. We booked this hammam via Surf Berbere for 350 dirhams.

Many people seem to return to Taghazout: it was our roommate’s Paul ninth trip (!) to the surf village. And after this week, I understand why he keeps coming back… Absolutely loved this short trip! The surf lessons were lots of fun, we met many great people, and Taghazout is gorgeous. So, see you soon again Taghazout!

I was hosted by Surf Berbere. Views and opinions remain my own. 

The village of Taghazout. – Surf camp Taghazout with Surf Berbere. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.
So many cute cats and dogs to cuddle!
Day trip Paradise Valley. – Surf camp Taghazout with Surf Berbere. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.

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SURF & YOGA CAMP IN TAGHAZOUT (2) (1)

Interested in doing a similar trip? Check out the Surf Berbere Surf & Yoga package!

Let me know if you have any questions on joining a surf camp in Taghazout! 

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