IMSOUANE, A MAGICAL SURF SPOT
A SURFING PARADISE IN MOROCCO
The Moroccan coast is famous for its many beautiful surf spots. If you are familiar with African waves you have probably heard of the famous spot called “La Baie”, also known as Imsouane to many surfers of the world.
Imsouane village
A Longboarder’s paradise (arguably the longest wave in Morocco that you can ride for up to 2,5 minutes on a good day!), nestled on the northwest coast of Africa. Getting the chance to ride this wave when the conditions align will make your dreams of surfing one of the world’s longest waves a reality.
Imsouane is a small fishing village in Souss-Massa, located between Essaouira and Agadir, that hasn’t been overexposed to tourism; preserving its natural environment, authentic culture and surf vibes.
Imsouane offers two surf spots: on one side of the harbour you’ll find Cathedrals, a beach break with a nearby left-hand point break to its North end.
Out across the headland, you’ll find the world famous surf spot of La Baie, a magical point break, where peeling right-handers roll in from the Atlantic at low tide as far as the eye can see.
A surf trip to Imsouane
During a day trip to Imsouane, the departure will be early in the morning so as not to miss the low tide. If the schedule allows, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a yoga class at sunrise followed by a delicious breakfast to recharge your batteries before your surfing lesson. We want to reach The Bay for the mid-low tide, this is when the conditions will be the best and when the real magic can happen. The drive will give you an “avant-goût” of where we are heading to, traveling along the vast African coast, passing through desertic lands. On the way we will cross Tamri, a village where some of the best bananas and mandarins in the region are produced.
Once made to Imsouane, you will be able to experience an incredible lookover of the bay, and see the swell lines appear, coming from the ocean and rolling down to the beach. Excitement peaks as we’ll imagine ourselves surfing those endless waves.
Arriving on the spot
We’ll arrive at Imsouane in the morning, and park the car in front of “The Bay”. The village will already be awake with surfers and fishermen getting busy around their favourite playground: the ocean. Once there, we will first check the surf conditions. After a quick walk along the rocky cliff, we will all meet up to take the time to watch the waves roll in, trying to read and understand the spot and its currents before getting into water.
Under ideal conditions, it will be mid-tide, the sun will be shining, a light offshore breeze will be blowing, and luckily there will be no current. All the elements will then come together for a magical session
Surfing the long righthanders of The Bay
When the tide is at the lowest, the best way to paddle out is by moving carefully along the harbour’s sea wall – you can almost walk all the way to the lineup. This will save you some energy for your session
Beginners will be surfing on the inside section near the shore. There will be waves for all levels, the main instruction for having fun in complete safety being to respect the priorities because the surf spot can get crowded. If you manage to catch the right wave, it can take you all the way to the end of the bay, one of those waves you remember all your life. In this case, there is no other option but to get out of the water and return to the line-up (expect a 10- to 15-minute walk, but which are well worth the emotions provided by your 2-minute ride).
Imsouan's harbour
Imsouane’s harbor is a typical port with its traditional blue fishing boats. The smell of fish is generally strong there, and will immerse you in the atmosphere of the village. Once out of the water, you’ll enjoy a well-deserved lunch in one of the local restaurants overlooking the ocean. Grilled fish is obviously the dish not to be missed, with a Moroccan salad and homemade fries on the side, to be enjoyed under the sun, watching the waves roll by.
Just enough time to recharge the batteries and we’ll be back into the water for the second session of the day (for the bravest surfers at least 😉
Back to the surf camp
At the end of the day, the ride back will be made with our head full of memories and a feeling of gratitude after a beautiful day filled with emotions (and efforts). As a reward we’ll enjoy a delicious traditional Moroccan dinner, around which the surfers will share their one-day experience that will never be forgotten.
Book your stay at Zen Surf Morocco to get a chance to surf this little piece of paradise tucked away on the North African coastline.
N.B.: a day in Imsouane can be easily organised on site with our staff. As this surf spot is well beyond our normal range, we kindly ask for a 30€/person supplement to get there.
