Imsouane Surf Guide – Morocco’s Magical Right / Beginner Spots + More
Imsouane has arguably the best right hand longboard wave in Morocco. It’s a proper peeler with a neat pocket that has rides for hundreds of metres. This is also a top beginner and learner spot with the surf camps and hostels to show for it.
Imsouane is a pint-sized town almost halfway between Essaouira and Agadir, the two main cities on the coast in southwestern Morocco.
Once upon a time, it was just Amazigh-Berber fishing folk and argan nut farmers here. But then someone noticed that the triangular headland jutting from the village created perhaps the finest longboard right point break in Africa and every logger on the globe looked up.
The wave we’re talking about is the star of the show here for sure. It’s known locally as The Bay, and offers hundreds of metres of riding across the town’s main bay. Longboarders find loads to love there, but it’s also a playful, sectiony sort of break for those on shorties when swells get a bit bigger.
The other side of the headland is called the Cathedral. That’s where you’ll pick up the reef and sand-bottomed peaks that can offer some hollow rides, particularly during the winter.
Imsouane remains less popular but also harder to reach than Morocco’s mainstay surf destination down in the Taghazout or Tamraght area.
There’s certainly no shortage of surf camps and surf hotel options, even despite the well-publicized demolitions in early 2024. Growing numbers of both seasoned riders and improving intermediates are now coming here for the mellow swells and the consistent wintertime swells.
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>>This is a part of our greater guide to surfing Morocco
Imsouane surf at a glance
Wave type: Right-hand point // Level: Beginner and up // Season: Winter (November to March)
The good:
The bad:
What’s in this guide to surfing in Imsouane?
Where is Imsouane?
Imsouane is located just below the border between the region of Marrakesh-Safi and the Souss-Massa.
It spreads across a wide coastal bay (where much of the surfing is done) and a headland that pokes into the Atlantic Ocean.
The nearest major town is Agadir. That’s around an hour’s drive to the south. The windsurfing hub of Essaouira is to the north.
To get in from either, you’re best off getting a private transfer that should take about 1.5 hours in total. Buses aren’t that reliable and a taxi should only set you back around $70 for the whole ride, which you can share with your whole travel group. At least that’s how most people get here.
Imsouane surf spots
Imsouane can be divided into two: The Bay (the most famous spot on the south side of the town) and La Cathedral or The Cathedral (the faster right that’s on the north side).
Both are great waves but also work on slightly different swell angles and with different winds. Generally speaking, The Bay is for total beginners and longboarders – it’s mellower. Cathedral is faster and for more intermediate surfers.
There’s a also a reef that’s right in the middle between the two. We’ll talk about that below as well becuase it
Let’s take a closer look at both…
The Bay
Imsouane Bay is the piece de resistance of the town. This is the break that you’ll see on all the adverts.
A classic Moroccan point break only WAY mellower than Anchor Point, it has a take-off zone right at the end of the main headland on the south side of the town.
On the best days, sets will start peaking nicely right beside the harbor wall there. Othertimes, they wrap in a bit more before you can catch them.
That means an easy (read: virtually zero) paddle out that involves simply hopping a few rocks close to the village or paddling around back via a clear paddle channel.
The waves are at their best when chest to overhead on long periods. That occurs quite often in the winter when you’ll see riders enjoying the slow start and then uninterrupted rides all across the front of the bay.
The trick is to find the sweet spot and cruise the pocket. On larger days, the wave builds a little wall and can be rippable or sectiony but nothing ever too serious.
The Reef
The reef isn’t often mentioned on guides to Imsouane becuase it’s ussually seen as just one of the many peaks on Plage d’Imsouane, the bay on the north side of the village that also hosts Cathedral (see below).
But it’s worth mentioning as a separate entity becuase it’s fully rock bottomed and a different beast really. It’ll fire on swells that push above five foot or so but gets best with overhead conditions, when it can hollow out to give some rare Moroccan lefts that will be slightly hollow.
It’s for more advanced surfers; another reason it’s regularly overlooked in this town of learners.
Cathedral
Located to the top of Imsouane Bay around the main headland to the north is the break known as Cathedral.
It’s another right-hand point really but it caps off a beach that has loads of peaks up and down its length.
There’s more exposure to big NW and W swells here, so the sets tend to be heavier, quicker and less forgiving than their mellow counterpart on the other side of town.
Predominantly rights, there are also some options that let goofies hit the front foot. Underwater is a mix of rock and sand.
Surf camps in Imsouane
The simplest way to go about surfing in Imsouane is to book onto a camp.
These are the packages that will get you pre-booked surf lessons and board rental, plus food and bedding. Some even offer transfers to the airport in Agadir or Marrakesh.
- Dreamsea Surf Camp Imsouane – We adore this camp. It’s a real return to nature. Bed down in salty sea cabins or belltents between the beach and the jungle, a short walk from the surf points. It has the trademark Dreamsea feel – super cool, boho-chic. There’s great food and some of the best surf tuition around. The best pick in town right now for sure!
- Clapo Surf Camp – We think the packages here are extremely good value for money. They start at $500 and for that you get 7x surf lessons, free surfs every afternoon, and all three meals each day.
Want more options? Check out our guide to the best surf camps in Imsouane!
For more info on the top-quality surf camps in Morocco – we’ve got a complete guide right here.
Where to stay in Imsouane (when surfing)?
Despite the well-publicized demolitions that occured in Imsouane, there are still plenty of great places to stay here really close to the main right hand wave.
Basically anywhere you pick in the main town area will be within walking distance. The options below are the ones we’d highly reccomend.
- The O Experience – Honestly, we can’t really think of anywhere better to stay while surfing in Imsouane than this utterly gorgeous boutique coast lodge. It’s as stylish as they come, mixing Greek cottage architecture with a touch of old Berber style. They do excellent food, have an unrivalled location overlooking the main break, and have thier own in-house board rack to suit all surfers.
- Loued Surf Lodge – Simply done with adobe walls and muted colors, Loued is a surf hotel with style that’s also affordable. Great vibes here since everyone gels like family.
- Afer Surf Hostel – is a budget-friendly option that’s also great for surfers looking to meet, mingle and made friends with other travelers during their time in Imsouane. Sleeping is in simple dorms or doubles, but the main feature is a sun-drenched roof terrace and cool Berber-inspired lounge areas.
When to surf in Imsouane?
The winter (November to March) is the peak time to surf in Imsouane because it’s the least windy time of year and the whole of Morocco gets solid NW-W swells.
You can actually catch a wave in Imsouane at any time of the year – that’s just how reliable the mid-Atlantic is. But it’s the winter that comes in as peak season.
Temperatures do dip a little then, but the main change is the wind: The dominant trades and the course of the hot and dusty air that originates in the Sahara all calm between November and April…
That all helps to maintain shape on Imsouane bay and the Cathedral, which means glassy conditions and way more wall to the wave. Winter also sees the N-NW Atlantic engine kick in. The results are regular overheads on the north side of town but nice, mellow, shapely longboard waves to the more-protected south.
Summer visits are best for beginners looking for whitewash and those who don’t mind trading perfect conditions for smaller line ups.
A 2025 update: The demolitions in Imsouane
Imsouane had a bit of a rough time of it at the start of 2024, when government officials came through with bulldozers in tow.
They pulled down a glut of the seafront hotels, citing a lack of permits, though many believe the real motive was because there was some underhand deal with some big wig hotel chain.
Despite the upheaval, Imsouane is bouncing back. Locals have begun rebuilding, and many businesses have reopened, with surf camps, cafés, and guesthouses once again welcoming visitors.
A lot of the worst demolitions took place around La Cathedral break, not the main right point that everyone takes photos of but a shallower, faster right to the north of the town. Choose a stay in the main town and you shouldn’t notice much different in 2025.
Surf shops in Imsouane
The whole of Imsouane basically revolves around surfing these days, so there’s sure to be a shop stocking what you need
One thing we would say: Don’t rely on these places for anything more than general accessories. It’s not a place to browse big quivers of boards and buy something new. The extent of the stock is really wax, shorts, leashes etc.
- Magic Bay Surf Shop – One of the few places with totally new boards on a rack to buy. They’ve also got a rep for top-quality rentals and have some nice Imsouane branded gear.
- Hosurf Shop – A ramshackle little surf shop that’s housed in a wooden shack, Hosurf is a locally run spot with all the longboard and shortboard rentals you could need. Fins, rash vests, leashes and more are all part of the hardware offering. There’s also a great coffee shop on the roof upstairs.
- Reef Point Surf Shop – Reef Point Surf Shop might just be the best-stocked surf emporium in the whole town. Duck inside to find racks of branded clothing and surfwear, along with flip-flops, sun cream (water-friendly, of course) and earplugs. There’s also an enticing range of NSP and soft-top boards to rent right on the main bay surf spot.
Where to eat in Imsouane?
One of the worst things about the demolitions that took place in 2024 is that they destroyed some of the most awesome places to eat in Imsouane. We’re talking proper Berber tagine joints overlooking the main wave.
The good news is that the place is bouncing back and there are some nice things popping up.
Check out…
- Momo’s Coffee – A rite of passage. Come here. Grab a coffee. Chill. It’s gotta be done. Great views and amazing people. Check out the amazing mural by Raised By Summer (a pretty awesome surf-artist) on the back wall).
- ANZAR – A staple of The Bay. Eat European and Middle Eastern dishes with a cracking view of the right hander peeling into the bay. Service can be a bit slow sometimes, but chillax and enjoy.
- Restaurant La Paix – If you’re craving a spice-packed Moroccan tagine or fresh-caught grilled fish with a trickle of olive oil and a squirt of lemon juice, you could certainly do a lot worse than Restaurant La Paix.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
