Taghazout and Agadir: Luxury Resorts, Golf and Atlantic Surf

Agadir, rebuilt as a modern resort city with a long crescent beach, a marina and a hilltop kasbah, anchors Morocco's southern Atlantic coast. Twenty minutes north, the former fishing village of Taghazout is one of Africa's best-known surf spots, and beside it Taghazout Bay has grown into a planned luxury resort of beachfront hotels, a championship golf course and a seaside promenade.

This is the place to add a few days of sun and sea to a Morocco luxury vacation, especially in winter, when the coast stays in the 70s °F. It also hosted matches during Morocco's Africa Cup of Nations and is preparing for the FIFA World Cup 2030, which Morocco co-hosts with Spain and Portugal.

Fly Royal Air Maroc nonstop from New York JFK, Washington, Miami or Los Angeles to Casablanca and connect to Agadir in about an hour. From Marrakech, a private car takes about three hours on the highway; from Essaouira, about three hours on the coast road. Agadir Al Massira airport handles private jets; see arriving privately.

Souss-Massa National Park protects coastal wetlands and wildlife south of Agadir. Taroudant, the walled 'little Marrakech', is about an hour inland; the Atlas Mountains and Essaouira are both within three hours.

Morocco uses the dirham, and cards are accepted in the best hotels, restaurants and boutiques, but carry cash for souks, guides and tips; about 10 percent is customary in restaurants. Light, modest clothing covering shoulders and knees is respectful away from the pool. Friday is the main prayer day, while offices and shops follow a Saturday and Sunday weekend. During Ramadan, eat and drink discreetly in public by day; hotel restaurants stay open. French and Arabic are widely spoken, and English is common in luxury hotels. Morocco's power sockets take European two-pin plugs (220V). On the coast, the Atlantic sun is strong year round, and currents can be powerful, so swim at supervised beaches and use resort surf instructors.