Just outside of Essaouira’s enchanting Unesco-recognized old town, lies a sandy city beach which has long been a hub for hippies and wanderers. You can play a game of beach soccer or bargain for a camel ride here but sunbathing and swimming aren’t the most comfortable activities – Essaouira is known as the Wind City of Africa for a reason. North of the old Spanish port town of Sidi Ifni is Legzira, a quiet, golden-sand beach with a magnificent thousand-year-old sandstone archway. The Atlantic-coast town of Taghazout might be small, but it’s big on the world surfing map, especially among backpackers and those learning to ride the waves. Stretching from the blocked border with Algeria on the northeastern tip of Morocco is Saïdia, a long white-sand beach that springs to life from June to September. East of Unesco-acknowledged Tetouan on the Mediterranean Coast, M’Diq is a hot spot for Moroccans and sun-seekers from across the Middle East.
