Which season to surf in Morocco? The complete month-by-month calendar
7 min · Surf · April 24, 2026
The marketing answer: "there are waves all year round." The honest answer: it depends entirely on your level and what you're looking for.
October — The ideal restart
The Atlantic swells pick up again after summer. The water is still 22°C. The sun is out but the heat is mild. This is the start of the surf high season. The waves gain in consistency and size. Recommended level: all levels.
November to January — The surfers' high season
The Atlantic swells are at their peak. Waves can reach 2 to 3 metres on the good spots. The air is cool (15–20°C), the water 18–19°C — a wetsuit is recommended. This is the favourite window for experienced surfers. The spots are less crowded than in summer.
February to April — The perfect transition
The waves start to settle. The water warms up gradually. April is our favourite month for beginners: consistent, accessible waves, beautiful light, and far fewer people. It's also the season of gentle spring waves, ideal for progressing quickly.
May to July — The surf summer
The waves shrink but stay consistent. The water climbs to 22–24°C. No wetsuit needed. This is the ideal window for complete beginners and families. The heat can be intense in July (35–40°C inland, but 28°C at the water's edge thanks to the wind).
August–September — The relative lull
The Moroccan summer means fewer swells. The waves are smaller and less consistent. AMANAR stays open but recommends this period only for beginners, or for nomads coming for the coworking and the lifestyle rather than specifically for the waves.
Our recommendation by profile
- Beginner: April–June or September–October
- Intermediate: October–November or March–April
- Experienced: November to February — the swells are there
- Digital nomad: all year, the Atlantic isn't going anywhere
The mechanism behind the calendar
Understanding why these months work will help you choose: from October to March, North Atlantic depressions send long, organised swells that hit the Moroccan coast with rare consistency. It's the same machine that feeds the European spots — except here it arrives with sunshine and 20 degrees. In summer those depressions track up towards Iceland: swells become short and scarce, and only the beach breaks catch the residual energy.
The water: colder than you think
The classic first-trip trap is assuming the water is warm in Morocco. Atlantic upwelling holds the ocean between 17 and 21°C all year — cooler in summer than you'd imagine, never freezing in winter. In practice: a 3/2 mm wetsuit from May to November, 4/3 mm from December to April for long sessions. Nobody surfs in boardshorts here, whatever the season.
The crowds, month by month
Peak crowding falls over the Christmas holidays and February — the Taghazout points fill up while the Tamraght beach breaks breathe more easily. October–November and March–April offer the best waves-to-crowds ratio of the year: the swell is there and the line-ups are bearable. In summer the bay belongs to beginners and families — and that's exactly as it should be.
Ramadan: plan around it, don't fear it
The dates shift every year (moving roughly 11 days earlier annually — check before booking). Tourist life carries on and surf houses serve meals as normal, but the village's rhythm changes: shops on shifted hours, quiet afternoons, lively evenings after the fast is broken. Some travellers love that particular atmosphere; if you'd rather avoid it, move your trip by a week.
Our advice by profile
Complete beginner: June to September — small waves, water at its warmest, empty line-ups. Want to progress fast: October–November or March–April — enough swell to surf every day, quiet enough to get waves to yourself. Experienced surfer: December to February, when the points switch on — accept the crowd, it's part of the show. Whatever month you pick, the house chooses the spot of the day based on conditions, not on the brochure.
Reading a forecast like a local
The usual forecast sites give you three numbers — learn which matters most. Period (in seconds) counts for more than height: a 1.2 m swell at 14 seconds delivers more powerful, better-ordered waves than 1.8 m at 8 seconds. The ideal direction for the bay is west to north-west — that's what wraps cleanly around the points. Wind is read hour by hour: offshore (from the east) in the morning, onshore thermal in the afternoon, almost every day. The local habit isn't checking "whether there are waves this week" — it's working out which window of which day will be clean. That's exactly the call the instructors make each evening for the next morning.
FAQ
When is the best time to surf in Morocco?
September to April is the main season: the North Atlantic swells arrive, the points around Taghazout and Tamraght switch on, and the water sits around 18–20°C. October and November are the sweet spot — full-size swell, light crowds, warm air. July and August stay small and are better for absolute beginners.
Can you surf in Morocco in September?
Yes. September is the turn of the season: the first proper swells of the autumn reach the coast while the water and the air are still at their warmest of the year. A 3/2 mm wetsuit is plenty, and the winter crowds have not arrived.
Is January good for surfing in Morocco?
January is the most powerful month of the year here — the biggest, most consistent swells, and the points at their best. It suits confident intermediates and experienced surfers. Beginners still get surfable days on the Tamraght beach breaks, but the week is less predictable. A 4/3 mm wetsuit is the right call for long sessions.