Landing in Morocco on Eid felt special. The North African country has long been a popular destination for those wanting a cultural experience a little further than Europe, without going too far. Known for its beautiful weather, flavoursome food and impeccable hospitality, I was looking forward to experiencing the bountiful delights that Morocco has to offer. Under an hour’s drive from Agadir airport was our home for the week: a spacious sea view suite hosted by Hilton Taghazout Bay. Morocco’s charm is enough reason to visit, but just in case you need persuading, here are five very good reasons why Taghazout should be your next holiday.

Ease

Sitting in the same time zone as the UK during the winter months, and only one hour ahead in summer, Morocco is the perfect escape for remote workers. No jet lag, no time difference, no hassle. Navigating is easy, meaning it’s a breeze getting here. The main languages spoken are Arabic, French and English, and the flight time to Agadir is just under four hours.

Worth knowing too: Taghazout benefits from a genuine microclimate, sitting as it does between the Atlas Mountains, the Moroccan desert and the Atlantic Ocean. The cold Atlantic currents and coastal breezes keep summer temperatures in check, with July and August peaking at around 26°C, meaning it works as a destination all year round, without the sweltering heat you’d expected this far south.

Wellbeing

Taghazout is a small fishing village that, over the past decade, has transformed into something rather more. What was once a modest stretch of coast known mainly to surfers and backpackers now draws a different crowd too: one that wants a luxury hotel, a spa and a proper restaurant, but still with the Atlantic right outside. The two worlds coexist surprisingly well.

The Atlantic here is spectacular. Whether a first-timer nervously paddling out or someone who’s been doing this for years, the bay accommodates all comers. Dozens of surf schools line the shore, staffed by patient, good-humoured instructors who seemed genuinely pleased when I finally managed to stand up. Boards are available to rent almost everywhere, and a wetsuit is essential, but beyond that the kit list is short. Pack plenty of sunscreen, probably more than you’d think.

The sea, shimmering on endlessly, has a way of doing something to you. Even just watching it from the shore, coffee in hand, I felt a recalibrating effect that’s hard to explain and impossible to replicate at home. There is something about being near the ocean, the scale of it, the noise, that made everything else feel appropriately small.

At the risk of sounding like a princess, I like to have a massage during the first day or two of a holiday, to help me feel grounded and centred. Eforea Spa at the Hilton delivered. I had an hour-long treatment that combined elements of deep tissue, aromatherapy and lymphatic drainage, a combination I was sceptical about until I was horizontal and completely sold. The therapist worked with focused, deliberate attention and I left feeling like a brand new person. Afterwards, I was brought fresh mint tea and a small bowl of nuts, which was the perfect end to a very good afternoon.

Food

Where to begin? Moroccan cuisine is its own argument for visiting. It is flavoursome, fresh and nourishing in the way that food only is when its ingredients haven’t travelled far. At its core, it draws from Amazigh, Arab, Andalusian and French traditions, and the French influence in particular shows up in ways that surprised me: the buttery patisserie at breakfast, the flavoursome sauces, and the instinct for technique that runs underneath everything. We were always welcomed with mint tea, poured from a height, a ritual that the Moroccans take seriously and one I quickly came to love. Alongside it came olives, nuts and sweet, sticky pastries.

For dinner, IMIM was a highlight. The menu sits somewhere between Lebanese and Moroccan, and the two turn out to complement each other more naturally than I’d expected. The lamb tagine, slow-cooked, falling apart and fragrant with preserved lemon and olives, was everything a tagine should be. Save room for the amlou dessert – a dense, sweet paste of argan oil, almonds and honey, which I’m still thinking about.

For lunch, Anaw beach bar does the job beautifully. Fresh, casual, right on the water, with a menu full of flavoursome offerings of both traditional Moroccan cuisine and seaside classics. We ordered too much and had no complaints about it, finding a seat facing the sea and didn’t move for two hours, sun-warm and very full, as we watched the surfers take on the waves.

Windy Bay Restaurant, in Taghazout town itself, is worth making the effort for. It’s a 30-minute coastal walk or a short taxi ride from the Hilton, and the journey there along the cliff path with the sea below is half the appeal. Back at the hotel, our room was reliably stocked with nuts and sweet pastries that I told myself I’d save for later and then ate immediately (every time). 

Hospitality

From our taxi driver to the hotel staff to the man we passed on the street who smiled and said hello without wanting anything in return, Moroccan hospitality is something you feel rather than just observe. It is warm, genuine and down to earth. People make eye contact. Strangers struck up conversations unprompted. Our driver on the way from the airport told us about his family, recommended a restaurant, and refused to let us leave the car without writing down his number in case we needed anything during the week. By the end of the week, I started to wonder whether I’d simply been living my life at the wrong temperature.

Affordability

Taghazout is affordable, which means you can actually relax into it rather than tallying up the bill in your head. Return flights to Agadir regularly come in under £100 return (ours were £97) and once we arrived, money went further than expected. Accommodation, food, spa treatments, surf lessons: none of it requires any serious financial preparation. We got the sun, the sea, the food, the warmth, all of it, without the guilt.

Which is, in the end, what a good holiday should feel like.

For more info and booking for the Hilton Taghazout Bay Beach Resort & Spa click here.

Words by Ama Samra