Imsouane

Imsouane is a fishing village on the South Atlantic Coast of Morocco, roughly halfway between Agadir and Essaouira. Surfers know it for the long right-hand point break in its bay.

Imsouane sits in a wide bay where the western end of the High Atlas comes down to the ocean. It is still a working fishing port, and the harbour is the centre of village life. Most visitors come for the surf, and the village stays quiet outside the swell season.

The village has two ends: the harbour and the bay, and the headland to the south known as Cathedral Point.

Imsouane is about 80 km north of Agadir. Take the N1 coastal road north through Taghazout and Tamri, then the signposted turning west; the last stretch is a narrow road down to the coast. Allow around two hours from Agadir.

Grands taxis run from Agadir and from Tamri. Surf camps in Taghazout and Tamraght run day trips here when the swell suits the bay.

The village is small enough to walk. The bay and Cathedral Point are a couple of kilometres apart.

• The Bay — a long, mellow right-hander that peels along the sandy bottom of the bay. On the right swell it offers one of the longest rides in Morocco, and it is forgiving enough for improving surfers.
• Cathedral Point — a shorter, more powerful right-hander breaking over rock on the headland, better suited to confident surfers.

The surf season runs roughly from September to April, when north-west Atlantic swells reach this coast. Summer is smaller and quieter.

Conditions in the bay vary a lot with swell direction, and it is worth checking a forecast before making the drive.

• Taghazout In & Out — Taghazout-based operator that runs guided sessions and surf weeks including Imsouane, and publishes a free live surf forecast for the bay.

Cafés and grills around the harbour serve the day's catch.

Guesthouses and surf accommodation operate in the village. The choice is small, so book ahead during the autumn and winter surf season.

• Taghazout — the main surf village on this coast, about an hour and a half south
• Tamri — bananas and a big beach break on the road south
• Essaouira — walled coastal town to the north
• Agadir — the nearest city and airport