The Coasts of Morocco

[Iberostar Hotels & Resorts]

The extensive coastline of Morocco offers a great variety of options along their 3,500 kilometers. It’s hard to choose among its many beaches, because you’ll always have to leave out something. It has beaches washed by the waters of the Atlantic and many others facing the Mediterranean, beaches suited for families and modern ones with a chill out atmosphere, some right below a cliff and others directly off the desert sands. You’ll probably agree that it’s a tough decision.  Here is a review from one tip of the coast to the other, to help you choose the one that’s best suited to your taste.

On the Mediterranean coast, the sea is nice and calm and the beaches are more intimate. You’ll find magnificent beaches of fine sand and small, secluded coves that are often deserted. Some of them are in the outskirts of traditional fishermen’s villages, in areas of paradisiac nature. Here go a few of the best:

Tangier: Tangier has pleasant beaches outside the city with beach bars where you can eat or have a cool drink at any time, or even ride a camel along the shoreline.

Tétouan: Martil is the most famous of the beaches of Tétouan, just 10 km from the center of town. This town is spruced up in summer and is reminiscent of coastal towns of the Spanish Mediterranean, with all their advantages and occasional inconveniences.

Alhucemas: Alhucemas Bay has many beaches and coves in town and disseminated in the surroundings. It is famous for the quality of its sand and especially for the magnificent sea floor, which will appeal to scuba divers.

Saïdia: Better known as the Blue Pearl, this small, pleasant tourist town is just a few km away from the border with Algeria. It features the longest beaches in Morocco and is consolidated as an international destination thanks to its quality hotel offer, important festivals in summer and a fascinating mixture of Moroccan traditions and beach atmosphere.

The Atlantic coast of Morocco is more diversified and populated than that of the Mediterranean. It goes from Tangier to Dakhla, on the southern extreme of Western Sahara, where you will find cosmopolitan cities such as Rabat and Casablanca, as well as easy-going towns such as Agadir and Essaouira. These are some of the best locations:

Asilah: The most famous beach is the one known as Las Palomas or Las Cuevas, with a splendid stretch of sand washed by clean, calm waters.

Essaouira: Also known as Mogador, this former Portuguese city, which is exceptionally beautiful and included on the
World Heritage List, has endless beaches that draw many travelers, whether to practice windsurf or kitesurf or to lie in the sun and stroll through its easy-going streets around sunset.

Agadir: The beaches of Agadir are among the main assets of this coastal city. Its extensive beaches of fine, golden sand are washed by warm waters and blessed with nice, warm weather year round. There are beaches that are fine for bathing and others that are more open to the ocean, with plentiful wind and large waves that are perfect for surfers, windsurfers and kite surfers.

Mirleft: Located next to a cliff, the town of Mirleft has some of the most charming and deserted beaches in Morocco, the most salient of which is the Beach of the Arches, in the nearby town of Legzira.