Surftrip Morocco
The first time I learned about the waves in Morocco was through the documentary Lost Track Atlantic. Energy generated in the North Atlantic Ocean produces waves at many fantastic spots along the northwest coast of Africa.
Initially, my plan was to visit Spain, where a group of my friends was. However, I couldn’t make it due to other priorities. As time passed, almost none of them remained in Spain. In the meantime, I tried wakeboarding and wakesurfing, but it didn’t fulfill what I was looking for. I needed to start overcoming a difficult stage in my life. Morocco had been on my mind a lot, and eventually, it just clicked. I visited my friend, the biker and freediver Tomka, where his friends from Slovakia had also gathered – Rober and Erik from salas.surf. They had just returned from Norway, where they work during the summer, and since 2018, they’ve been organizing surf camps in Morocco during the winter. We shared a barrel and a beer, and at that moment, I truly felt that I was going to surf in Morocco.
We have found the possibility of me arriving to help with preparations for the upcoming season in exchange for room and surfing opportunities. The waves in Morocco tend to become more consistent starting from September, but by March, they start to diminish. All that was left to do was buy the flight tickets, and fortunately, they were very reasonably priced. I purchased them two weeks in advance for only 100 euros, which included two 10 kg cabin luggage allowances, and an additional 100 euros for the surfboard. Traveling with low-cost airlines may not be the most pleasant experience, but those 5 hours flew by quickly, especially with the anticipation I had. It’s important not to forget to bring snacks and drinks, as purchasing them on the plane can be more expensive. The closest flights to the Moroccan coast typically depart from Vienna or Krakow to Agadir.
1/2 – 14 days at Salaš in city Sidi Ifni
When I stepped out of the plane at midnight, the temperature was pleasantly mild. Throughout the day and night, it remained neither stuffy nor too warm, cold, or windy – just the ideal conditions for wearing a shirt, flip flops, and shorts. At the airport, a taxi driver was waiting for me with a sign saying Salaš and took me 170 km away to Sidi Ifni for 70 euros. We were supposed to be two, but a friend forgot his passport at home. Yeah, hard to understand :-D.
Sidi Ifni is located farther south, so you won’t find many tourists, which I think is the biggest advantage! Fresh fish, street food, fruits, vegetables, desserts, coffee – you can find everything very cheap and of excellent quality. However, communication can be a challenge; you’ll hardly find somebody who speaks English, and sometimes counting is also a problem.
Luckily, on the first day, we ventured out, and we were almost alone. The ocean in Morocco is neither too cold nor too warm for me. With a 3/2mm summer wetsuit, you can surf until your arms need a break from paddling. There are several spots where you can surf, mainly sandy beaches suitable for both beginners and experienced surfers.
Guys renovated Salaš during Covid, and I must say that the atmosphere they managed to create there is amazing. The food, chillout zones, open roof, backlight, plants, and paintings… Well, look at their instagram, but it’s much better to go there and experience it!
We cycled through work, surf, rest, food, and sleep. Then the Pharaoh sickness came, and for 3 days, I wasn’t feeling good. Hygienic standards that we are used to in Europe are not entirely present in African regions, so you must be prepared for that. This is one of the reasons why I would not go to Morocco for a short time. The other reason is that it took me some time to slow down and tune myself to the local atmosphere. It took about 10 days to understand and fully enjoy the societal settings and vibes of Morocco.
For those who like alcohol, Morocco is not quite an ideal destination. There is a prohibition, and you can buy alcohol in very few places. In addition, the taste of local beer is poor. On the other hand, the availability, quality, and price of hashish will make up for it. There is also a bar in Sidi Ifni where you can have a beer on the beach, watch waves, and sunset. It’s pretty rare in Morocco.
About a week later, the first guests arrived, with whom we immediately clicked. Since then, life at Salaš started to come alive, and I think it won’t calm down easily. Trips, surfing, great meals, open roof, backlight, paintings, statues, and very nice people. Celebrating life. Hard to say no!
Why is Salaš called Salaš? When you get there one day, you realise it, meeeeheeee.
2/2 – 7 days at Mamaafrica in Imsouane
Staying in one place and getting to know it deeper is fine, but moving to another place and experiencing something completely new is great. And, as I had planned, it happened. The Salas were preparing me for this adventure because those two surf houses know each other.
I took a bus from Sidi Ifni late in the evening. The bus arrived almost an hour late, and in the middle of the ride, we stopped for tea. Everyone jumped off the bus to indulge in strong Moroccan tea with several sugar bricks. It also appealed to my taste, as it’s the only life awakener that really works for me, much better than Redbull. To my astonishment, we arrived in Agadir almost on time, and I continued by taxi with a new group that had just landed. The journey to Imsouane from Agadir is slightly shorter, a total of 100 km.
Arriving around 3 am, in the morning, we were awakened by the loud noise of crashing waves on the coast. The house is not far from the beach, so we grabbed our skates and went to check it out. What we saw did not leave us calm. We returned for tea, put on wetsuits, waxed our boards, and set out to La Catedral. I had never entered the water with such energy and at a place I had known for about 10 minutes, with Martin, the dad of Mamaafrika, whom I had only known for a couple of hours. Martas jumped into the water, and I followed him; a current pulled us around the rocks to the lineup. Some waves were so big that I didn’t understand what I was doing there. When the sets came, I had to paddle so much to prevent them from falling on my head. I tried to catch some „smaller“ ones a couple of times, but as they rose so high, it made me feel uneasy before dropping in. During one of those attempts, I didn’t look back, and it was too late. A set of about 6 waves fell right on me. I enjoyed it a lot, and since then, I sat sideways and just watched it all.
Imsouane is a small village where life revolves around surfing. Almost every tourist who comes here already knows why they are doing it. That’s why these beaches look the way they do. You will never be alone in the water on the Bay. Waves here can be as long as a minute or more, and whoever has a larger volume wins. You do not even need to paddle back; just walk through the beach back to the beginning. However, the highlight for me is the spot La Catedral.
In the following days, the waves were not as heavy, so we had more energy left for other activities. We switched music for pushups, played social games, enjoyed drinks and smoking, told stories, cooked, played music, sang, and more. If there exists one place on the whole world where I didn’t get bored for a second or even haven’t thought about boredom, it’s Mamaafrica. The first house in Imsouane with big plans ahead. Big thanks to this family and all participants for a very intense week.
