Surfing Morocco made easy with Stoke Travel

Here’s a cheeky little fact: my love for hostels began way back when I decided that instead of being sensible and getting a full time job straight after graduation, I would fulfil a lifelong dream of learning to surf.

So I graduated University. I spent two weeks in a surf camp. And then I didn’t surf again for two years.

Two years!

Thank goodness all of that changed last month with an epic trip to Taghazout with Stoke Travel. I’ve got my surf stoke back guys!

 

For ultimate beginners like me, taking part in a surf camp can often be a little daunting.

What if everyone is better than me?

What if I’m not fit or strong enough?

Is it dangerous?

These are all worries that can be thrown aside when you choose to learn to surf with Stoke Travel in Morocco.

Learning to Surf with Stoke Travel

A big part of the reason the week was so fun was due to our surf instructor. Lahcen, our local instructor, knew the beaches like the back of his hand and always knew the best spots to take us according to our group level and experience.

Arriving at the beach for my first day of surf, I was already two days behind the rest of the group, but after instructing them on their goals for the day, and reminding them how to keep safe in the water, Lahcen took me aside to practice my popups and teach me about the layout of the bay.

Within a few minutes of catching my first waves I was standing up and riding through the breeze towards the shore. It was awesome! And taking a break the next day to take photographs of the group it was clear I wasn’t the only one benefiting from Lahcen’s instruction:

Each day of surf also began with a workout consisting of a combination of cardio and stretching activities to help minimise muscle ache later in the day!

It’s incredible how many muscles I discovered I had after just a few days of surfing, and stretching out in the morning was the perfect way to shrug off yesterday’s aches and prepare for another thrashing in the fresh North Atlantic Ocean.

Surfing in Taghazout, Morocco

In my opinion, intermediate and experienced surfers would probably be a bit disappointed with the surf around Taghazout during the time I was there in June. However – for beginners the surf is excellent!

The waves are the perfect size, not too big to be intimidating for first timers, and they tended to break softly offering the perfect practice for paddling on to them and attempting to ride the wave standing up.

As I mentioned, the surf instructors are locals who know all the beaches in the area. At the beginning of the week we had our lessons at Plaka Anka, a great break for beginners which also meant that the water tended to be pretty busy.

Towards the end of the week Lahcan took us to surf near Devil’s Rock, a much quieter beach more popular with sunbathers than surfers, which gave us the perfect opportunity to catch more waves and practice our paddling.

Stoke Travel Morocco Packages

Depending on what you want to get out of your surfing trip, and how long you want to stay in Taghazout, Stoke Travel have a number of different packages available on their website. Their cheapest package is the 60 EUR day package which includes:

• accommodation in the surf hostel, right on the water’s edge
• all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• surf equipment hire (boards and wetsuits)
• surf lessons
• surf guiding
• parties
• trip to souk market
• trip to local bathhouse (hammam)
• Agadir airport transfers
• Agadir town transfers
  *If you stay a week, a trip to the rock pools at Paradise Valley is included.

By the way – Paradise Valley really is a paradise and I’ll be writing about it soon so make sure to watch this space! In the meantime… here’s a sneak peek:

Overall, my week surfing in Taghazout was a blast, made even better by the accommodation provided at Surf Taghazout Hostel. The surf instruction only takes place in the morning, and preferably it would also be great to get instruction in the afternoon too, as we were mostly left to our own devices after lunch.

For beginners, the combination of great accommodation, gentle but useful instruction, and soft beach breaks makes for a great introduction to the world of surfing.

Details

Where: Taghazout, Morocco

Who: Stoke Travel Morocco – don’t forget to follow them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with their special offers!

When: The surf camps are offered all year – but as I mentioned the breaks were pretty small when I visited in June. The best time for surf in this location is during the European winter, from October to June.

Cost: From 60 EUR to 400 EUR depending on your choice of package.

What to take: Nothing but a swimsuit and determination to ride a wave!

I would like to thank Surf Taghazout and Stoke Travel for arranging my stay with them, but as always opinions are honest and my own.

Lots of love,

Final day at the gorgeous Surf Taghazout hostel with @StokeTravel! Will be sad to say goodbye to this great crowd! pic.twitter.com/TNCF6Cb4t8

— Katie Dawes (@the_hostelgirl) June 19, 2015