The coast north of Agadir is one of the best surf regions in Europe and Africa. Within 90 km you’ll find gentle beach breaks for beginners, long point breaks for longboards and heavy reefs for experts. Which ones work on any given day depends on three things: swell, period and wind.
The season
From October to April, low-pressure systems in the North Atlantic send swell south along the coast. This is the main season, when the famous right-hand points such as Anchor Point and Killer Point start to break.
From May to September, swells are smaller and less regular. It’s the best time for beginners, with smaller waves and warmer water, but experienced surfers will often find it too small.
How to read wave height
On our place pages, “waves” is the significant wave height: the average height of the larger waves out at sea. As a rough guide for this coast:
- Under 0.5 m: flat or tiny. Longboard at best.
- 0.5–1 m: small. Good for beginners on the beach breaks.
- 1–1.5 m: fun size. Most spots work; points start to wake up.
- 1.5–2.5 m: solid. Point breaks firing. Experienced surfers only at the exposed spots.
- Over 2.5 m: big. Only the sheltered spots are surfable for most people.
Why period matters
The period is the time in seconds between two waves. It tells you how much energy the swell carries. A 1.5 m swell at 8 seconds is short, weak and choppy. The same height at 14 seconds is a powerful, organised groundswell that will wrap around points and break much bigger than the number suggests.
The points north of Agadir need long-period swell, usually 12 seconds or more, to work properly. When you see a long period in the forecast, that’s the day to check Anchor Point or The Bay in Imsouane.
The wind
Most of the year, the wind is light in the morning and picks up from the north in the afternoon. Mornings are usually cleanest. Spots that face south, like the points in Taghazout and the bay in Imsouane, are more sheltered from the north wind and can stay clean longer.
Where to surf by level
- Beginners: Tamraght and Devil’s Rock, Panoramas in Taghazout, The Bay in Imsouane on small days, the south end of Agadir beach.
- Intermediate: Hash Point, Banana Point, Imsouane Bay on medium swells.
- Experienced: Anchor Point, Killer Point, Boilers, Cathedral Point in Imsouane.
Water temperature and wetsuits
The water is about 17–18°C from January to April and 20–22°C from July to October. A 4/3 wetsuit is comfortable in winter, a 3/2 for spring and autumn, and many surfers use a spring suit or boardshorts in late summer.