My new favorite weekend getaway is a true hidden gem. Most people have never heard of Taghazout or Tamraght, let alone Agadir. However, Taghazout Bay is the perfect destination for surfing, relaxing, sunbathing, eating, shopping, and generally having the perfect vacation.
I predict the region will become super crowded in the next few years, so you’ll want to visit before it gets too busy. Here’s what you can expect when visiting in 2025.
A Surprise Trip to Taghazout, Morocco
When Vanesa told me she still had paid holidays to take off before the end of the year (something almost unheard of in the U.S.), it was the perfect excuse for me to book a weekend break to Morocco. It’s one of my favorite countries, and also, ironically, some of the cheapest flights from Edinburgh.
For much of the year, round-trip tickets from Edinburgh to Agadir are under £35 ($50) per person with Ryanair, and you don’t need to pack much to a beach destination. Without planning our trip much for where we would stay or what activities to do, I booked our tickets.
How to Get to Taghazout
Agadir is a major city on the coast in southern Morocco. It is about 150 miles southwest of Marrakech and about 120 miles south of Essaouira, another beautiful coastal town. Like Marrakech, Agadir has an international airport, and flights are often cheaper to Agadir (or Rabat) than to Marrakech.
If you prefer public transportation, you can get a public bus from the airport to the center of Agadir, but then you must take another bus to Taghazout or Tamraght. Apparently, the AE bus runs from the airport to the city center, and then the L32 or L33 bus runs to Taghazout.
I found the bus schedules, prices, and pick-up locations a bit confusing. From what I could gather, the AE bus stopped running around 8 p.m., which was before our flight landed. Thankfully, as we were staying at the Fairmont Taghazout Bay, they sent a driver to pick us up from the airport and brought us directly to the hotel.
You could also rent a car from Agadir airport, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that. Driving in Morocco can be challenging. I had originally planned to book through QEEQ, but then I remembered I’d rented from them before and had a fiasco when the rental location didn’t accept the insurance QEEQ provided. Eventually I had to pay for more insurance while I waited for a refund from QEEQ. As I often say, third-party booking sites are rarely the best option.
Where to Stay in Taghazout
As Taghazout and Tamraght are primarily surfing villages, you can find dozens of hostels and guest houses lining the streets and even directly on the beach, in the case of Taghazout. I heard that after the recent popularity boom in the region, many hostels popped up without proper authorization and then had to close down. Yet plenty of hostels and guesthouses are still around.
Taghazout Bay is also becoming a luxury wellness destination, with several top resorts lining the beach between Taghazout and Tamraght. The northernmost resort is Radisson Blu, followed by Hotel Riu Palace Tikida, Hyatt Regency Taghazout, Hilton, Fairmont, Marriott (opening in 2025), and White Beach Resort. The hotels all have similar ratings, but not all things are equal. Arguably, Accor’s Fairmont is at the head of the pack.
Playa del Sol, Tamraght
If you’re looking for cheap accommodations in Taghazout Bay, a good option is Playa del Sol in Tamraght. This guesthouse opened in 2023 and already has a great rating. I was truly shocked by the quality of service, the beautiful decorations, and the expected amenities, such as a large hot tub in our private room.
The manager, Ikram, gave us impeccable service, from the tea at the beginning to arranging our transport back to Agadir airport. We also had a very nice breakfast provided. Certainly not comparable to a full hotel buffet, but delicious nonetheless.
Fairmont Taghazout Bay
The Fairmont Taghazout Bay opened its doors in July 2021. It spans nearly 45 acres and has 153 rooms, suites, and villas. The sprawling resort also includes three world-class restaurants, two bars, full spa facilities, two large pools, and, of course, full beach access.
Staying at the Fairmont Taghazout Bay
Vanesa and I had two epic nights at the Fairmont Taghazout Bay. We must have had one of the best suites, as we had a great view of the adult (and therefore quieter) pool and the sea beyond.
The room had everything you would expect from a luxury hotel: a luxurious king-size bed, a work desk, plenty of closet space, a large TV (which we never use when traveling), and a huge bathroom with both a shower and a large bathtub. We also had plenty of small amenities, such as an iron and board, a mini bar, a coffee maker, toiletries, and high-quality shower products.
The orange and brown decor fit perfectly for Morocco and the beach. The firm mattress was particularly comfortable, and the bed sheets were soft. I particularly liked the soft lights by the bed for some late-night reading.
Of course, as this is the Moroccan coast, we spent most of our time on the beach or enjoying the food, which is one of my main reasons for traveling. Surprisingly, despite how much I craved Moroccan cuisine, we didn’t have Moroccan meals at the hotel. It’s not that the hotel didn’t have Moroccan cuisine available; we just went with other options.
Dinner at Paper Moon Restaurant
Paper Moon is a small group of ten award-winning restaurants worldwide. The restaurant served us our first very late-night dinner and provided the resort’s complimentary breakfast buffet. The menu concept is to offer ten starters, ten antipasti, ten first plates, etc, all influenced by the locations of their ten restaurants.
Our dinner choices were as follows:
- Grilled octopus with roasted potato mousse and Mediterranean vinaigrette
- Homemade pappardelle with tomato, cream, and smoked pastrami (the signature dish)
- Guancia di manzo (braised beef cheek) with potato mash and rosemary reduction
- Madagascar vanilla pannacotta, almond crumble, and raspberry sauce
First, I need to talk about the octopus. If you’ve ever had sushi octopus, you’ve not had anything like this. Similar to grilled octopus in Portugal, the octopus at Paper Moon was not chewy at all. Even the tentacles, something I’ve never been able to appreciate from the texture, were delicious.
Our main courses were spectacular. Some might consider pasta a common dish not worth getting at a fine-dining restaurant. However, when it’s homemade pasta and all the highest-quality ingredients, such as 24-month parmesan, are imported from Italy, that’s a meal to remember.
Overall, the meal was on par with what I’d expect from a Michelin-starred restaurant. The attention to detail, the unexpected flavors and textures, the unique pairings and decorations—everything made the meal absolutely perfect. The staff was super friendly, and we had great conversations with them about where they sourced the products locally, the restaurant’s sustainability, etc.
Paper Moon Breakfast Buffet
The breakfast buffet at Paper Moon was just as good as dinner. The extensive selection included fresh fruit, homemade granola and yogurt, countless spreads and toppings, local honey, and a huge selection of baked goods. Apparently, they have one heck of a baker manning the ovens. Outside, a large omelet station cooked eggs to order.
This is the kind of buffet that just had too many options. It’s a good thing we had multiple days to enjoy the selection.
Dinner at Tapa Wine Bar
The Tapa Wine Bar, one floor above Paper Moon, is no less impressive but offers an entirely different cuisine. Unlike Paper Moon, Tapa Wine Bar is not part of any chain. The concept is simple: serving tapas (small plates or “covers”). For those not familiar, tapas apparently date back to the 13th century, when King Alfonso X of Castile ordered small plates of food to be served on top of wine cups to keep insects, dust, and heat out of the wine.
The menu has roughly two dozen seasonal tapas. Although the concept is small plates, they weren’t particularly small. When I would have normally ordered 3-4 tapas per person, we were told five tapas would be plenty for the two of us. As it was, we ended up only ordering four, and that was enough. These were our selections:
- Bread Please! – the signature tapa
- Eggplant fries with argon honey
- Gambas Pil Pil with parsley, paprika, and grilled bread
- Eggplant schnitzel with crab, chives, and mayo
Right off the bat, we were stunned by the presentation and quality. The Bread Please! tapa came with what we thought were olives, but turned out to be cheese balls with a special coating. Better yet, the oil for the bread was in the form of a candle. Lighting the wick liquified the oil, allowing it to dribble on the bread. Sadly, the wind wasn’t kind to us and kept extinguishing the flame, but we succeeded in the end.
Everything else was similarly fantastic. The argon honey with the fried eggplant was incredible and not something you’re likely to find outside of Morocco. Of the four, I’d have to say my favorite was the gambas pil pil with its delicious seasoning. However, dessert might have been the best part of the meal.
Vanesa chose the coppa chocolate mousse with mascarpone, coffee crème, caramelized hazelnuts, and nous-nous gelato. I went with the trio of crème brûlée—vanilla, ginger, and saffron—with the chef blowtorching the dishes right before us. Every bite was amazing, but I was particularly impressed with the saffron crème brûlée, another item normally only served in Morocco.
Things to Do in Taghazout
You could easily spend your entire vacation at the Fairmont Taghazout Bay, vacillating between the pool, the beach, the spa, and the five-star restaurants. However, there are plenty of other activities in Taghazout to make your vacation unforgettable.
Surfing
Undeniably, the main activity in Taghazout Bay is surfing. Nearly every guesthouse, and certainly all the resorts, have surfboards and wetsuits available to rent or borrow. Dozens of schools are available for lessons. If I had any criticism, it’s that the waves can get too crowded. And I didn’t see a lot of lifeguards. Then again, the waves at Malibu, Venice, and other beaches in California are far more crowded.
While nearly everyone wears a wetsuit, you really don’t need one. The water is between 62°F and 72°F year-round. Taghazout Bay is about the same latitude as San Diego. It might feel cold getting in, but you’ll warm up in a couple minutes, especially if you’re surfing. Just don’t forget your sunscreen.
Horse and Camel Rides on the Beach
Surfing is the only activity at the beach. All along the beach from Tamraght to Taghazout (and probably the rest of the beaches in Morocco, too), you’ll find locals leading horses and camels offering rides.
In my experience, the prices vary wildly, and you’re just as likely to get scammed as to find a good deal. But if you’ve never been on a camel or enjoy horseback riding, the rides are available.
Quads and Jet Skis
For a bit more of an adventure, you can rent a quad or a jet ski. At least the prices for these are more transparent and reasonable. Quads can be found for as little as $20 per hour, while the jet skis are about $60 for half an hour. You can book in advance or just find a stand on the beach.
Cats Everywhere
As this is Morocco, expect to see a lot of cats around the villages. Whether you’re comfortable or not with petting them, they make for some great photos. You can also expect them to come join you any time you’re eating outdoors, or indoors for that matter. Surprisingly, we didn’t see a single cat around the resort.
Hammam Spa
If you’re staying at the Fairmont Taghazout Bay or any other resort, you’ll want to take advantage of the spa facilities, at least for a Moroccan hammam, but probably for the full range of services. If you’re not staying at a resort, a couple of spas in Taghazout and Tamraght offer hammams and massage services.
Vanesa and I tried out Mellow Hammam and Massage in Tamraght. While it wasn’t nearly as luxurious as what the Fairmont has available or our experience at the Heritage Hammam Spa in Marrakech, it was just what we needed to finish our trip to Agadir.
Where to Eat in Taghazout and Tamraght
In addition to our fabulous meals at the Fairmont Taghazout Bay, we also found some excellent cafes and restaurants in Taghazout and Tamraght. After all, we still needed some Moroccan dishes before we left.
Le Acai Cafe
This little cafe in Tamraght opened the day after we arrived, run by a super friendly French and Moroccan lady. The menu is simple, including fresh juices and smoothies, an acai bowl, shakshuka, halloumi salad, quesadillas, etc. The cafe also has a nice selection of pastries, coffee, and tea.
We had a smoothie in the morning and then returned later for quesadillas. We were hoping to return in the evening for the couscous dinner, but we ended up staying in Taghazout way too late.
Machi Mouchkil Street Food
At the top of the hill in Tamraght is another new cafe called Machi Mouchkil Street Food. This place opened in the summer of 2024, although the owner had a street food cart before that. The primary dish on the menu is briouattes, which are like Moroccan samosas.
Cafe Tayoughte
In Taghazout, we found the highest-rated cafe in town, a tiny hole-in-the-wall by the beach called Cafe Tayoughte. Not exactly the best service in town, but the food was fantastic. Vanesa and I finally got out tagines while we watched the sunset.
Visiting Taghazout and the Fairmont
Taghazout is a place I plan to visit often, especially if flights from Edinburgh remain reasonable. I haven’t surfed regularly since I lived on the coast in California, but it’s a hobby I would love to get back into. More than that, this is just a great location to relax, enjoy some Moroccan food, and visit a hammam.
For better or worse, Taghazout is nothing like Marrakech or even Essaouira. You won’t find any big markets like Carrefour. In Taghazout, you’ll find a handful of souvenir shops, mostly along the beach and the main road. However, New accommodations, cafes, and services are opening regularly, and the infrastructure is improving.
Both Taghazout and Tamraght are relatively new towns, but the area is rapidly expanding. As such, don’t put off your trip too soon, as I can see the region getting very crowded in the next few years. But who knows, maybe Morocco will work to keep the area peaceful and quiet, perfect for a relaxing holiday away from work and stress.
Further Reading
Are you heading to Morocco? Here are some other articles that will help you with your adventures there.
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