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Kite above the Atlantic ocean at EssaouiraPhoto: Isabelle Lemelin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Morocco

Morocco covers two coasts.

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Essaouira

Essaouira anchors the north: a working medina town with a kite beach against its walls, backed by the wave spot at Moulay Bouzerktoun and the wave-split beach at Sidi Kaouki, all riding the Alize trade from April to October.

Dakhla

Dakhla, far south on the Western Sahara coast, is the other pole - a desert lagoon system at PK25 and the Speed Spot, plus the Atlantic wave at Foum Labouir, running March through October.

Which suits whom

Essaouira suits riders who want a town around the wind; Dakhla suits those chasing flat water in open desert.

Seasonevery monthsomewhere in the country
How we count
Places
4 towns and 9 single spots
Beginners
where a spot record says a beginner can ride; the Beginners page also asks for a school there, so it lists fewer
Best forFlat water3Waves12

When to go

month by month, from the towns' own wind series

  1. Jan, no figure—
  2. Feb, no figure—
  3. Mar, no figure—
  4. Apr, no figure—
  5. May, no figure—
  6. Jun, no figure—
  7. Jul, no figure—
  8. Aug, no figure—
  9. Sep, no figure—
  10. Oct, no figure—
  11. Nov, no figure—
  12. Dec, no figure—

The windiest town in season each month: its share of windy days

Nothing has been measured or modelled for this place: twelve months and no figure in any of them.

Which place is yours

Grouped by region, the most spots first

How this list is ordered

The places are in the order of how many spots each place holds. None of them carries a wind score: the atlas scores wind reliability one spot at a time, against a named weather station and the distance to it, and a place that groups several spots has no single station to stand behind one number.For wind by month, see When to go above.

Marrakech-Safi

Essaouira Established4 spots · 15 schools · every monthlagoon waves beginner-friendly buzzing scene car helps gear rental budget to mid Moulay Bouzerktoun Established1 spot · 1 school · March to Octoberwaves advanced quiet 4x4 needed gear rental budget Sidi Kaouki Local favourite1 spot · 4 schools · April to Octoberwaves advanced buzzing scene car needed gear rental budget

Rabat-Salé-Kénitra

Plage des Nations & Plage de Mehdiya2 spotsseason not recordedwaves advanced

Standalone spots

Single spots with no town of their own

Casablanca-Settat

Bouznika1 spotseason not recordedwaves advanced El Jadida1 spotseason not recordedwaves advanced Jack Beach1 spotseason not recordedwaves advanced Oualidia Lagoon1 spot · May to Septemberlagoon beginner-friendly

Rabat-Salé-Kénitra

Moulay Bousselham1 spot · August to Novemberbeginner-friendly budget

Souss-Massa

Agadir Bay1 spot · March to Octoberbeginner-friendly Aglou Plage1 spotseason not recordedwaves advanced budget Taghazout (Banana Village)1 spot · May to Septemberwaves advanced

Other places

Laayoune Plage1 spotseason not recordedwaves beginner-friendly

By region

The country's regions, the most spots first

Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab9 spots · 1 placeMarrakech-Safi6 spots · 3 placesCasablanca-Settat4 spotsRabat-Salé-Kénitra3 spots · 1 placeSouss-Massa3 spots

Best for

Pages that pick the places in Morocco for one kind of riding

Flat water in Morocco3 placesWaves in Morocco12 places

Destinations

All 13 places, by name

Every place in the lists above, by name only, in the order the country guide keeps them.

EssaouiraMoulay BouzerktounSidi KaoukiPlage des Nations & Plage de MehdiyaLaayoune PlageAglou PlageAgadir BayTaghazout (Banana Village)Oualidia LagoonEl JadidaJack BeachBouznikaMoulay Bousselham

Visa & entry

EU passportVisa-free for tourism, generally up to 90 days, matching the UK policy below; unconfirmed for EU passports specifically.
US passportVisa-free for tourism, generally up to 90 days; unconfirmed for US passports specifically.
UK passportVisa-free for tourism up to 90 days; longer stays require an extension request at a Moroccan police station. Passport must be valid at least 3 months beyond arrival and undamaged (2026).
Digital nomad visaNo dedicated Moroccan digital-nomad visa; unconfirmed.
Tax residency daysCommonly 183 days; unconfirmed for 2026.
NotesPolio vaccination certificate required if arriving from a polio-affected country. Declaration required for foreign currency amounts of 100,000+ MAD (roughly £8,000) (2026).

Money

CurrencyMoroccan Dirham (MAD)
Card acceptanceReasonable in Essaouira, a tourist hub, but weaker at smaller nearby spots like Moulay Bouzerktoun and Sidi Kaouki, where guesthouses often expect cash. Unconfirmed.
ATMs and feesATMs available in Essaouira; the Moroccan dirham (MAD) is a closed currency that generally cannot be obtained or exchanged outside Morocco, and export of large amounts is restricted or declarable above the currency-declaration threshold (2026).
Scams
  • Unofficial or unlicensed guides, inflated taxi fares, and fake-police or fake-official approaches to tourists are commonly reported. Unconfirmed.
TippingTipping, a few dirhams for small services and around 10% at restaurants, is commonly customary in Morocco; unconfirmed.

SIM & internet

Operators, best coast coverage first
  • Maroc Telecom
  • Orange Morocco
  • Inwi
eSIM options
  • Airalo Morocco eSIM on Orange network: 3 days unlimited data €16.00, 5 days €26.00, 7 days €31.50, 10 days €40.50 (2026).
ID needed for a SIMMorocco commonly requires passport registration, and sometimes biometric or fingerprint capture, for prepaid SIM purchase under ANRT rules; unconfirmed with the regulator.

Insurance

RecommendedComprehensive travel insurance covering treatment costs and potential repatriation is recommended, given that public health facilities offer limited care (2026).

Health

VaccinesCheck national travel health advice at least 8 weeks before travel; polio vaccination certificate required if arriving from a polio-affected country (2026).
Tap waterCommonly reported that tap water is heavily chlorinated and bottled water is generally preferred; unconfirmed.
Emergency numbers150 for ambulance; contact your insurer or medical-assistance company immediately if referred to a facility (2026).
Hospital standardPublic health facilities provide limited medical care; private clinics offer a higher standard (2026).
Pharmacy notesPharmacies operate 24/7 in rotation but may substitute medications, sometimes requiring a local doctor's prescription; bring adequate supply of any regular UK-prescribed medication (2026).

Driving

International driving permitMorocco drives on the right. Many foreign licences, UK, EU and US included, are commonly usable for tourist driving without an IDP on short stays; unconfirmed.
Police stopsFrequent routine police checkpoints on inter-city roads, including on the Essaouira to Sidi Kaouki and Moulay Bouzerktoun coastal routes, are commonly reported by travellers and generally involve simple document checks. Unconfirmed.

Regulation

Drone rulesMorocco is widely and consistently reported as strict on drones, with confiscation at customs a real risk for undeclared or unregistered drones; the official permit requirements are unconfirmed with ANAC or ANRT.
OtherRabies risk from stray dogs, particularly relevant for coastal walking routes between spots like Essaouira and Sidi Kaouki (2026).

Calendar & costs

CurrencyMADSee Money

Kite bag rules for your airline

Flying into Morocco

Type the carrier you are flying: what it charges for a kite bag, and the year of the policy that says so.

Every carrier, with limits and what riders report at the counter →

Where records disagree

  • topic: EU and US passport entry terms for Morocco (the same Moroccan rules apply at Dakhla)
    version a: Visa-free for tourism, generally up to 90 days, but unconfirmed for EU and US passports specifically; only the British terms are confirmed: 90 days, extension at a police station, passport valid 3 months beyond arrival (2026).
    version b: 90 days visa-free with no fee for EU and US passports, and 90 days for British citizens only among British nationality classes (2026).
    sources:
    • https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco/entry-requirements
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Morocco
  • topic: Limits on carrying Moroccan dirhams in and out
    version a: Foreign currency worth 100,000 MAD or more must be declared; the dirham is a closed currency that generally cannot be exchanged outside Morocco, and no separate cap on dirhams is stated (2026).
    version b: Dirhams cannot legally be imported or exported beyond a MAD 2,000 tolerance for tourists (2026).
    sources:
    • https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco/entry-requirements
    • https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Morocco

Still being checked

We have not verified these yet — tell us if you know.

Show the 4 open questions
  • What do a beer, a meal, a coffee and rent cost in Morocco?
  • What does Royal Air Maroc charge for a kiteboard bag?
  • How do you get a drone permit in Morocco, and how strictly is it enforced?
  • Is the tap water safe in Morocco, and when is the mosquito season?

Last updated September 2026