5 days in Taghazout with @baileyturvey

If you’re craving a bit of winter sun without the longhaul faff, Taghazout is the place. I booked this trip hoping for a few days of warmth, good food and a change of pace – and somehow it ended up being one of my favourite winter escapes ever. Think surftown energy, big golden beaches, rooftop sunsets, mint tea, tagines, and the kind of slow mornings that make you forget what month it is. We based ourselves at the Hyatt Regency Taghazout and spent five days exploring everything from the colourful village streets to the Atlas Mountains and some of the best coastal views I’ve seen in ages. Here’s exactly how the trip went, day by day…

Day 1 – travel day, pool time and drinks with a view

It was an early start, which I actually love when travelling because it means you get another full day out of it. We were flying from Gatwick at 7am, so it was a very quick airport coffee before boarding and then we were off. Around four hours later we landed in Agadir and made our way over to Taghazout. 

A quick tip if you’re heading here, I’d definitely recommend getting an eSIM before you land. It just makes life so much easier when you arrive. You can also get SIMs at the airport if you prefer, but I always like being connected as soon as I step off the plane. eSIMs are available to buy on First Choice with their partner’s, Airalo…

The drive from Agadir to Taghazout is about 45 minutes and I always love this part of a trip. Looking out the window on that first journey into a new place gives you such a good sense of the country. When we arrived, we got lucky and were able to check in early. We were staying at the Hyatt Regency Taghazout, and, honestly, the room was incredible. The staff were also so lovely and welcoming too!  

Before we even unpacked properly, we decided to explore the resort because I’d seen online that it had loads of amenities. So, of course, the first thing we had to do was wander around the grounds and explore. There were three pools, a beach club, a private beach, a gym and even a surf shack where you could book lessons. After that, we grabbed cocktails and some Moroccan-style tapas at the pool bar. Because we’d been up so early, the plan for the day was mostly just to chill, but we did make a quick trip into town in the evening.

Completely by chance, a friend I met backpacking a few years ago happened to be in Taghazout at the same time. She was leaving for Marrakech the next day, so it felt like perfect timing to catch up. We went to a bar called Dfrost, which was deffo our fave bar in Taghazout. It’s quite dimly lit with an outdoor terrace overlooking the coastline and has a very chilled, slightly hippy feel to it. Not many places in Taghazout serve alcohol, so you do have to seek out the bars that do, and this one was definitely a good find. After a couple of drinks and a catch up, we headed back to the hotel at around 10pm and called it a night. 

Day 2 – exploring Taghazout village

Our second day was dedicated to exploring the village itself. I’d seen so many cool places pop up on my TikTok and Instagram feeds before the trip, but we decided to mostly just wander and see what we discovered. We walked into the village along the beachfront promenade from our hotel, which is such a nice walk with amazing coastal views the whole way. We went in February and it was around 24 degrees, which felt like perfect exploring weather. 

Our first stop was obviously coffee. We headed to Sozi’s Cookies, which is apparently famous for having the best cookies in Morocco. Unfortunately, I couldn’t try them because they didn’t have vegan options, but my friend Hannah confirmed they were absolutely worth the hype, and some of the best she’s had in ages. I still very much enjoyed an iced coffee with a view though, as Sozi’s has a beautiful seafront spot looking out over the water. 

After that, we just wandered through the streets, popping into vintage shops and little market stalls along the way. I picked up a few bits including some ceramic mugs and a Moroccan football shirt to add to my collection of sports shirts from every destination I go to. Taghazout is such a colourful place. The buildings, the surf shops, the art on the walls, it genuinely feels like walking through a postcard. 

For lunch, we stopped at World of Waves, which is probably one of the most famous restaurants in the village. It overlooks the main surf break so you can sit and watch surfers while you eat. We ordered a mix of Moroccan-style dishes to share, including falafel, houmous, babaganoush, shakshuka and a sweet potato tagine. Everything was amazing and I’d definitely recommend it as a foodie spot if you’re visiting. 

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel and spent a few hours relaxing by the pool before grabbing a cocktail at the beach club. Dinner that evening was at the hotel and it happened to be fresh pasta night, which was incredible.  

Day 3 – exploring the Atlas Mountains in a 4×4

Today, we were heading to a bucket-list destination of mine, the Atlas Mountains. We’d booked a 4×4 tour for the day with First Choice Experiences, which I would definitely recommend doing if you want a bit more adventure. The landscapes here are stunning and driving through them in the 4x4s made it even more fun. 

Our first stop was in a small Berber village, where we were welcomed with traditional Moroccan mint tea. We were also served a breakfast plate with Moroccan bread, local honey, olive oil, argan oil and this peanut butter style thing, although it wasn’t peanut butter, and I genuinely cannot remember the name of it for the life of me haha. From there, we continued exploring the mountains, stopping at different viewpoints along the way. The scenery is just incredible. At one point, we also stopped at Paradise Valley, which is exactly as it looked it pictures!  

One of the best parts of the day, though, was actually the people we met on the tour. Everyone was so friendly and it just made the whole experience even better. Later, we stopped in a small village for a traditional tagine lunch, and it was deffo the best tagine we had the whole trip. After lunch, we started making our way back down towards Taghazout.  

Instead of going out that evening, we decided to fully embrace a cosy night in. We got into our hotel robes, put the Love Island final on and ordered room service. Pasta and chips arrived at the door and everything about room service just makes the food so much cooler, like those tiny glass ketchup pots, it was honestly the perfect way to end such a full day.

Day 4 – surfing and sunset skateparks

You can’t come to Taghazout and not surf. It’s what the place is most famous for. We’d booked a two-hour lesson through the hotel earlier in the week and today was the day. I’ve surfed a few times before on different trips and I have to say this is definitely one of my favourite places I’ve done it. The waves were a really good level for beginners and intermediates. The water did take a little time to get used to though – I always forget the Atlantic is freeeezing!

After the lesson, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing around the beach club before heading to one of the most famous sunset spots in Taghazout, the Taghazout Skatepark. Every evening people gather at this clifftop skate park and the atmosphere is amazing. There’s usually live music, loads of really cool skateboarders and, of course, an incredible sunset over the ocean in the background.  I’d seen this place all over social media before visiting and it genuinely lived up to the hype. It’s a little bit outside the main village, so you’ll need to grab a taxi to get there, but it’s absolutely worth it. 

Day 5 – home time

Our final day came around very quickly. We had a midday flight, which was perfect because it meant we still had time to enjoy the morning. We grabbed coffee and breakfast by the pool and soaked up as much tanning time as we could before packing up and heading to the airport. 

Taghazout ended up being one of those trips that completely exceeded my expectations. It has such a relaxed, surf town vibe but there’s still loads to do if you want to explore beyond the beach. For me, it’s definitely up there as one of my favourite places you can reach without flying long haul for winter. So, if you’re looking for winter sun that doesn’t involve a huge flight, Taghazout is such a good option and surprisingly affordable, too. 

If @baileyturvey’s trip sounds like a bit of you, have a look at our Morocco holidays and you can find all his picks on our Insiders Hub.      