The red rock walls of the Todra gorge rising over the riverside road, a few walkers below

Couple questions: Romantic places

Essaouira or Taghazout for a coastal honeymoon?

Essaouira for most honeymooners: a walled UNESCO-listed port with rampart sunsets, an arts scene and the best grilled fish of the trip. Taghazout is a small surf village north of Agadir, with point breaks, yoga retreats and mostly simple stays. Choose Taghazout if surfing or yoga is the reason you are going.

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Answered by the Morocco Honeymoons team. Checked October 2026.

The short answer

The Erg Chebbi dunes after sunset, a sharp ridge in the foreground and a rose and violet sky — Erg Chebbi after sunset, MerzougaPhoto: Mike Prince, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized and colour-graded)

In more detail

Our comparison calls Essaouira the more rounded destination. It has an 18th-century medina, sea walls, thuya-wood artisans and a lively restaurant scene, with boutique riads among its places to stay. The trade winds make it a kitesurfing town, and three or four nights is a comfortable stay.

Taghazout is more focused. It is a low-rise village of about 5,000 people, known for right-hand point breaks such as Anchor Point and Hash Point, gentler beach breaks for learners, and many surf-and-yoga retreats. Our notes describe its accommodation as mostly surf camps and small guesthouses, with limited luxury.

Gulls wheeling around the low sun over the sea tower and harbour wall of Essaouira — Sunset from the Skala, EssaouiraPhoto: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized)

For couples who surf, Taghazout's season runs roughly September to April, when the Atlantic swells arrive. Summer is calmer and better for learning and beach days. The two towns are about 175 km apart and combine naturally on a week along the coast, flying home from Agadir. Our suggested circuit is Marrakech, then Essaouira for three nights, then south to Taghazout.