Taghazout
Encyclopedia
Taghazout, is a small fishing village 19 km (11.8 mi) north of the city of Agadir
in the south west of Morocco
. The inhabitants are mostly of Berber
origin. Fishing, tourism, and the production of Argan
oil being the main source of income. The developing tourism industry promises to increase the wealth of the area.
The Berber people originally resided in the foothills of the surrounding mountains and used the village purely as a place to store their fishing equipment.
As the Spanish increased their hold on the area in the 19th Century, factories and Mosques were built in order to house the Berber people and the village grew into a larger community.
Nowadays Taghazout is a multi-cultural haven, with residents from all over the world and a mix of the retired wealthy, to the modern day hippies waiting for the next wave.
In a similar fashion to Calangute
beach in Goa
India and Kuta
on the island of Bali
Indonesia, a beach just south of the village became famous in the late 1960s as a destination for young adventurers to base themselves while exploring southern Morocco. On occasion, several hundred would reside in tents, makeshift buildings, and camper
vans.
Surfing
is now the common theme for visitors. Morocco is famous for its long right hand point breaks; thoroughly consistent and generally uncrowded. The most famous of which is a little to the north. In the right conditions this point can take you on a 2 km ride, starting at Anchor Point, joining up with Hash Point and ending on the beach break at Panorama's. It's called surfing from village to village. There are several other in and around the area making it an ideal destination for all levels of surfer. The waves work best between September to April especially for advanced surfers, receiving similar conditions to that of mainland Europe, but with the warm waters of the Moroccan Atlantic up to 21 degrees.The rest of the year, the surf is good for beginners and intermediate
There are several beaches north of Agadir , which all offer a good alternative to the local beach in town. The setting of these beaches can be most attractive, with mountains on all sides, yet with a wide and clean beach with all necessary amenities
Restaurants all offer Moroccan cuisine.
Taghazout is a dry town; no alcohol is available to purchase. However it is not outlawed in the town and is readily available in Agadir, a short bus or taxi ride south.
Agadir
Agadir is a major city in southwest Morocco, capital of the Agadir province and the Sous-Massa-Draa economic region .-Etymology:...
in the south west of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. The inhabitants are mostly of Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
origin. Fishing, tourism, and the production of Argan
Argan
The Argan is a species of tree endemic to the calcareous semi-desert Sous valley of southwestern Morocco and to the Algerian region of Tindouf in the western Mediterranean region. It is the sole species in the genus Argania....
oil being the main source of income. The developing tourism industry promises to increase the wealth of the area.
History
As the Spanish increased their hold on the area in the 19th Century, factories and Mosques were built in order to house the Berber people and the village grew into a larger community.
Nowadays Taghazout is a multi-cultural haven, with residents from all over the world and a mix of the retired wealthy, to the modern day hippies waiting for the next wave.
In a similar fashion to Calangute
Calangute
Calangute is a census town with a permanent population of approximately 16,000 in North Goa, in the state of Goa, India. It is famous for its beach, the largest in north Goa, visited by thousands of domestic and international tourists alike. The peak tourist season is during Christmas and New...
beach in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
India and Kuta
Kuta
Kuta is administratively a district and subdistrict/village in southern Bali, Indonesia. A former fishing village, it was one of the first towns on Bali to see substantial tourist development, and as a beach resort remains one of Indonesia's major tourist destinations...
on the island of Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
Indonesia, a beach just south of the village became famous in the late 1960s as a destination for young adventurers to base themselves while exploring southern Morocco. On occasion, several hundred would reside in tents, makeshift buildings, and camper
Volkswagen Type 2
The Volkswagen Type 2, officially known as the Transporter or Kombi informally as Bus or Camper , was a panel van introduced in 1950 by German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model – following and initially deriving from Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1 , it was given the factory...
vans.
Activities
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
is now the common theme for visitors. Morocco is famous for its long right hand point breaks; thoroughly consistent and generally uncrowded. The most famous of which is a little to the north. In the right conditions this point can take you on a 2 km ride, starting at Anchor Point, joining up with Hash Point and ending on the beach break at Panorama's. It's called surfing from village to village. There are several other in and around the area making it an ideal destination for all levels of surfer. The waves work best between September to April especially for advanced surfers, receiving similar conditions to that of mainland Europe, but with the warm waters of the Moroccan Atlantic up to 21 degrees.The rest of the year, the surf is good for beginners and intermediate
Beaches of taghazout
Eating and Drinking
Taghazout is a dry town; no alcohol is available to purchase. However it is not outlawed in the town and is readily available in Agadir, a short bus or taxi ride south.