Hidden spots near Taghazout: where to go when the points get crowded

Everyone takes the same photo at Anchor Point. Same headland, same line of surfers, same caption. And look — it's famous for a reason. But the coast either side of Taghazout is stitched with quieter coves, deserted beach breaks and one palm-filled canyon that I'd send you to before any of the postcard spots. Here's where to actually go.

A confession to start: I almost didn't bother with half of these because they're a faff to reach. I'm so glad I did. The best afternoon of my trip was a beach I can barely find on a map.

Within a walk: Bumjak and Madraba

You don't need a car for the first ones. Head north out of Taghazout toward Anchor Point and after about 10 minutes you reach Bumjak, calmer and emptier. Keep walking another 20 minutes and Madraba opens up — and it's usually completely deserted. Bring water, bring everything, because there's nothing out there but the sea. Which is the whole point.

La Source and Aghroud: surf without the scrum

If you surf and you're sick of dropping in on strangers, two calls.

La Source sits about 100 metres north of Anchor Point — an underrated little reef with rare quality lefts that the crowd somehow skips. And Aghroud (the K25 / "Desert" spot), around 15 minutes from Tamraght, is one of the least-surfed points on this coast, with a rocky point that runs into a beach break beside a small, colour-splashed village. That's the one I'd point you to first.

Tifnit and Imi Ouaddar: the fishing-village vibe

Tifnit, tucked inside a national park south of Agadir, is the one that doesn't feel like the rest of the coast at all — crumbling cliffs, blue fishing boats wedged into rock caves, and people who actually live by the sea rather than surf it. North of Taghazout, Imi Ouaddar (about 25km up) gives you calmer, turquoise water and a low-key souk feel. Neither will be crowded, even in season.

Imi Mikki: the hamlet in the hills behind town

Everyone on this coast faces the water. Turn around. A few kilometres inland from Tamraght, up where the argan trees take over from the surf shops, sits Imi Mikki — a small Amazigh hamlet in the hills between Tamraght and Aourir (Banana Village). No wave, no famous pool, no sign pointing you in. That's exactly why it's quiet.

Go for the back-country version of everything the coast sells you: dusty lanes, argan groves, goats doing their improbable tree thing, and a ridge to catch the sunset from without a single other tripod for company. It's a short drive or a long, warm walk up from the beach road — do it late afternoon when the hills go gold, and be back in Tamraght for dinner.

Imsouane: go for the wave, stay for the fish

About 80km north — call it an hour and a half — is Imsouane, a small fishing port hiding a wave called The Bay (or Magic Bay) where, on the right day, you can ride a single rolling wall of water for 600–700 metres. You do not need to surf to love it. Sit at the harbour, eat the fish that came in that morning, watch the boats. It's the kind of slow that's hard to leave.

If you only make one day trip out of the area, I'd argue between this and Paradise Valley. Honestly? Do both, on different days.

Paradise Valley: the one inland escape

About an hour inland, the dust suddenly gives way to a canyon full of palms and a string of natural pools — cool, green, and a complete shock after the dry coast. There are rock ledges to jump from if your nerve holds (mine half did). Go early or late, and dodge peak summer weekends, when the pools nearest the entrance fill with day-trippers. Walk fifteen minutes upstream and you'll find a quieter pool with your name on it.

The old antenna above Tagant: the 360° sunset

This is the one I'd keep to myself if I were a worse person. A few kilometres north of Taghazout, on a crest above the little village of Tagant, stands an old telecoms antenna — and around it, one of the biggest views on this whole coast. Not a slice of it. All of it: the ocean on one side, argan-covered mountains on the other, goats improbably up in the trees, and, on a clear evening, the coastline strung out below you — Anchor Point, La Source, Imi Ouaddar, the Aghroud points, even Tamri and Imsouane fading into the haze up north. Full 360, and almost always empty.

The way there: head north out of Taghazout on the coast road, then take the inland turn that climbs up toward Tagant. Drop "Antena Panoramic" into your maps app (plus code H7C8+WX, or coordinates 30.5723, -9.7326) and follow it up. The last stretch is a rough track — a small 4×4 handles it comfortably; in a normal car, park behind the last buildings of the village and walk the rest. Either way, the final push to the antenna itself is about a 10-minute walk on foot up the crest. Go up with the light — give yourself a good half hour before sunset, because the track back down is unlit and there's nobody out there.

Cost: nothing. Reward: the whole coast at golden hour, and probably not another soul to share it with.

Two sunset spots, free

Back near home base: Devil's Rock above Tamraght is a two-minute climb for the best coastal view in the area, and Banana Point is the cliff to be on as the light goes. Cost: nothing. Reward: the photo everyone else missed because they were queuing for the famous one.