Taghazout

Taghazout is a small fishing village 19km north of the city of Agadir in southwestern Morocco. The inhabitants are mostly of Berber origin. Fishing, tourism, and the production of Argan oil being the main source of income. The developing tourism industry promises to increase the wealth of the area.HistoryThe Berber people originally resided in the foothills of the surrounding mountains and used the village purely as a place to store their fishing equipment. As the Spanish increased their hold on the area in the 19th Century, factories and Mosques were built in order to house the Berber people and the village grew into a larger community. Nowadays Taghazout is a multi-cultural haven, with residents from all over the world and a mix of the retired wealthy, to the modern day hippies waiting for the next wave.In a similar fashion to Calangute beach in Goa India and Kuta on the island of Bali Indonesia, a beach just south of the village became famous in the late 1960s as a destination for young adventurers to base themselves while exploring southern Morocco. On occasion, several hundred would reside in tents, makeshift buildings, and camper vans.ActivitiesSurfing is now the common theme for visitors. Morocco is famous for its long right hand point breaks; thoroughly consistent and generally uncrowded. The most famous of which is a little to the north. In the right conditions this point can take you on a 2 km ride, starting at Anchor Point, joining up with Hash Point and ending on the beach break at Panorama's. It's called surfing from village to village. There are several other in and around the area making it an ideal destination for all levels of surfing skill. The waves work best between September to April especially for advanced surfers, receiving similar conditions to that of mainland Europe, but with the warm waters of the Moroccan Atlantic up to 21 degrees.The rest of the year, the surf is good for beginners and intermediate