Morocco's hidden fisher village, Imsouane

Morocco has become a very famous destination over the past few years, with most people going to Marrakech and visiting the nearby main attractions such as Agafay Desert, the valley of Ourika, Setti Fatma, potentially the Merzouga desert and Ouarzazate, or a day trip to Essaouira. But most overlook this magnificent place, or it just probably never makes it to their radar — Imsouane.

To be clear, Imsouane is probably not suitable for the typical tourist looking for mainstream attractions. It’s mostly visited by longboard wave hunters, and by people looking to hit pause from the outside world, eat good food, chase sunsets, skateboard, and chill.

How to get there

Imsouane is 90km away from Agadir, the town with the closest airport and with very cheap flights to many European cities including Marseille, London, Madrid, etc. Once in Agadir, you can rent a car and drive there to have the freedom to visit nearby villages if you wish, like Tamraght and Taghazout. Car rentals cost around MAD 2000/week. Another option is a bus. But beware, most bus rides don’t drop you in Imsouane — they only drop you at the exit of the national road to enter Imsouane, which is 8km away. From there, you can take an illegal taxi to Imsouane. Just do as if you’re hitchhiking, most cars that stop are “illegal taxis.” A bus ride from Agadir costs around MAD 150, and MAD 10 is more than enough to give to the illegal taxi. In Morocco they are called khetaf, which literally translates to “kidnapper,” as in he is stealing clients from registered taxis.

The third option, which is my favorite, is to take a taxi from Agadir. In Morocco a very common option to travel between cities is the Taxi, called a “big Taxi,” as opposed to the small taxi that only drives you inside the city, where your fare is metered based on time and distance. There are also big Taxis inside the city, but they have a fixed route, generally main avenues, for a fixed fare. To take a taxi to Imsouane from Agadir, go to the Grand Taxi Station in Agadir. You can get there by taking a small taxi and indicating “Grand Taxi Station” or simply “El Battoir,” which is the name of that area. It’s important to know that these taxis have 6 places, and only start the journey once all 6 places are filled. The fare to Imsouane costs MAD 90 from Agadir.

Where to stay

The main attraction in Imsouane is surfing, so naturally you have many surfing hostels that offer weekly packages. But you can stay in those hostels even if you have no intention of surfing, and book by night a bed in their shared dormitory or a private room if you prefer more privacy. I highly recommend going to hostels over renting apartments, even if they may seem cheap, because you’ll meet amazing people in hostels and it’ll make all the difference in your trip. Imsouane is a very small village without many things to do, so when the lights go out, the best place to chill is at your hostel with other fellow travelers.

Last time I went there, I stayed at a hostel that I really liked and had an amazing time. Even though it was low season, there were enough people to make the vibe special — we surfed together, had meals together, and chilled at the beach tanning, swimming, and playing volleyball for hours. The hostel is called Awa Surf Camp, and it’s a few minutes away from the main beach. You can book it through Hostel World; the price depends on the season, but it ranges from MAD 150-300 per night, including breakfast, and you can rent a surfboard with a wetsuit for MAD 80 per day.

What to do

Imsouane is the place to disconnect from the world — the pace is much slower and people are more in the present moment. Obviously the main attraction is surfing; there are many places you can book lessons from if you’re a beginner. Surfboards and wetsuits can be rented from MAD 80 per day. There are two beaches, the Bay and the Cathedral. The Bay is more beginner-friendly.

If you like skateboarding, you’ll enjoy a sunset session with other skateboarders on the road very much.

And of course, chilling at the beach — one of my favorite activities in the world — is taking a nap at the beach, listening to my music and the sound of the waves.