Data Module 047 — Coastal Intelligence
Morocco’s
Surf Coast
Anchor Point, Killer Point, The Bay at Imsouane, Sidi Kaouki, Safi. Fifteen breaks mapped from Safi to Essaouira — swell direction, tide windows, ride length, and the economics of a 50,000-guest-per-year surf boom.
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001 — The Breaks
15 Breaks, Safi to Essaouira
Each spot: type, direction, best swell, tide, wind, maximum ride, and the local knowledge that forecast apps can’t give you.
Anchor Point
Madraba / Ikhflout
Taghazout · point break · Right
Max 500m+ on big days
Morocco's most legendary wave. Long right peeling along a rock shelf. Multiple hollow sections. Named for old anchors visible at extreme low tide. Needs solid NW ground swell to light up.
Best Swell
NW ground swell, 4–8 ft, 10–15s period
Best Tide
Low to mid
Best Wind
NE offshore
Killer Point
Taghazout · point break · Right
Max 300m+
Named after orca sightings. Major swell magnet — picks up the biggest waves in the area. 20-minute paddle out thins the crowd. Handles massive swells.
Best Swell
NW, 6–10 ft
Best Tide
All tides when big
Best Wind
NE offshore
Hash Point
Taghazout · point break · Right
Max 150m
Mellow right-hander breaking right below the surf camps. Perfect for all levels when small; fast and hollow when big. Visible from most Taghazout rooftops.
Best Swell
NW, 3–6 ft
Best Tide
Mid to high
Best Wind
NE offshore
Panoramas
Taghazout · beach break · Left + Right
Max 100m
Central Taghazout beach break. Popular with surf schools. Versatile — can also deliver clean walls on bigger days.
Best Swell
NW, 2–4 ft
Best Tide
Mid to high
Best Wind
NE offshore
La Source
Taghazout · reef break · Right
Max 150m
Performance wave between Anchor Point and Mysteries. Rock reef bottom. Less crowded than Anchor.
Best Swell
NW, 3–6 ft
Best Tide
Mid
Best Wind
NE offshore
Boilers
Taghazout · point break · Right
Max 200m
Named for a wrecked ship's boiler visible at low tide. Fast, powerful right. Shallow reef with sea urchins. Cap Ghir lighthouse nearby provides heavy offshore wind. Barreling.
Best Swell
NW, 4–8 ft
Best Tide
Low
Best Wind
NE offshore
Banana Point
Aourir · point break · Right
Max 200m
Named for the banana plantations of Aourir village. Long, easy right-hander protected from wind by the cape. One of the best beginner point breaks in Morocco.
Best Swell
NW, 2–4 ft
Best Tide
Mid to high
Best Wind
NE offshore
Devil's Rock
Tamraght · beach break · Left + Right
Max 80m
Below a striking rock formation. Sandy bottom. Favorite of surf schools. Predominantly left but offers mellow rights depending on sandbanks.
Best Swell
NW, 2–5 ft
Best Tide
Mid
Best Wind
NE offshore
The Bay (La Baie)
Imsouane · point break · Right
Max 700m — one of the longest in Africa
Longboard paradise. Sand bottom, mellow, peeling forever. Up to 700m rides on perfect days. Walk back to the peak — don't paddle. Becomes a swimming pool at high tide.
Best Swell
NW, 2–5 ft
Best Tide
Low to mid (rising)
Best Wind
NE offshore
Cathedral Point
Imsouane · point break · Right
Max 200m
Punchier than The Bay. Reef and rock bottom. Consistent during winter and autumn. Appreciated by shortboarders and bodyboarders.
Best Swell
NW, 3–6 ft
Best Tide
Mid to high
Best Wind
NE offshore
Sidi Kaouki
Essaouira · beach break · Left + Right
Max 100m
Long sandy beach 25km south of Essaouira. Kitesurfing and surfing side by side. Remote, uncrowded, spiritual. Sufi marabout shrine at the point.
Best Swell
NW, 3–6 ft
Best Tide
All tides
Best Wind
Variable — often windy
Essaouira Bay
Essaouira · beach break · Left + Right
Max 80m
Morning surf, afternoon kite. Strong cross-shore winds from midday. UNESCO medina as the backdrop. Mornings are glassy and uncrowded.
Best Swell
NW, 3–6 ft
Best Tide
Mid
Best Wind
Morning calm — afternoon wind
Tamri
Between Taghazout & Imsouane · beach break · Left + Right
Max 120m
Untouched fishing village with a river mouth. Picks up more swell than any spot nearby. The "savior when it's flat in Tamraght." Not touristic. Goat tagine for lunch.
Best Swell
NW, 3–6 ft
Best Tide
Mid
Best Wind
NE offshore
Safi
Safi · point break · Right
Max 300m
Semi-secret barrel. One of the best sand point breaks in the world — but fickle, rare, and extremely heavy. Pros and barrel-hounds only. North of Essaouira.
Best Swell
NW, 6–10 ft
Best Tide
Low to mid
Best Wind
E offshore
002 — When to Go
Season Guide
Oct–Dec
Early Winter
Swell
3–8 ft NW ground swells arrive. Consistency builds through Nov.
Water
18–20°C
Air
20–26°C
Wetsuit
3/2mm
Wind
Light, often offshore mornings
Crowd
Moderate — season opening
Jan–Mar
Peak Season
Swell
4–10 ft+ consistent NW swells. Biggest waves of the year.
Water
16–18°C
Air
16–22°C
Wetsuit
4/3mm
Wind
Glassy mornings, onshore afternoons
Crowd
High — full surf camps
Apr–Jun
Spring
Swell
2–5 ft, decreasing. Last good swells in April.
Water
17–19°C
Air
20–28°C
Wetsuit
3/2mm
Wind
NW thermal winds increase
Crowd
Low–moderate
Jul–Sep
Summer
Swell
1–3 ft. Mostly flat. Occasional windswells.
Water
19–22°C
Air
25–35°C
Wetsuit
2mm / shorty
Wind
Strong NW thermal winds
Crowd
Low — mainly beginners
In the 1970s, Taghazout was a handful of hippies and a fishing village. Today it has 78 surf schools, 50,000 guests a year, and Anchor Point is still breaking exactly the same way it did before anyone arrived.
003 — The Surf Economy
The Numbers Behind the Breaks
78+
Registered surf schools
Taghazout Bay — plus informal operators
50,000+
Surf camp guests/year
Taghazout alone
~500
Direct surf industry jobs
Instructors, camp staff, equipment
20,000
Jobs target (Azur Plan)
Government coastal tourism investment
3
Taghazout Surf Expo editions
40,000 attendees at 2024 expo, 80+ exhibitors
3,500 km
Coastline
Atlantic + Mediterranean
3 hrs
From Europe
Direct flights to Agadir from major cities
~$8
Average meal cost
Tagine, seafood, couscous
Sources
Surfline — Morocco Travel Zone and Anchor Point forecast data
Stormrider Surf Guides — Taghazout region (19 breaks)
Surf-Forecast.com — Anchor Point swell statistics and seasonal data
Taghazout Surf Expo — 2024 edition data (40,000 attendees, 80+ exhibitors)
TelQuel — "Is Taghazout riding the right wave?" (Nov 2024)
Wavelength Surf Magazine — Morocco Surf Tourism Leader (Oct 2024)
Royal Moroccan Surfing Federation (FRMSB)
Wikipedia — Surfing in Morocco; Azur Plan
World Metrics — Global Surfing Industry Statistics (2026)
© 2026 Dancing with Lions. All rights reserved.
This visualization may not be reproduced without visible attribution.
Sources: WSL, Magicseaweed, field research