Anza · Agadir · Souss-Massa · Morocco
Surfing Anza, Morocco
Anza is a sand-bottom Atlantic beach break immediately north of Agadir, and the first surf beach you reach driving out of the city toward Taghazout Bay. It is roughly 30–35 minutes from Agadir Al Massira Airport and about ten minutes south of Tamraght. Because it is more exposed than the sheltered corners of the bay, it often has rideable waves on days the famous northern points have nothing — which is exactly why coaches keep it in rotation. Morocco Surf Club surfs it regularly as one of the breaks Jamal chooses between each morning.
The short version
Anza surf spot — the facts
| Where | Immediately north of Agadir, on the coast road toward Taghazout Bay |
|---|---|
| Wave type | Exposed sand-bottom beach break, lefts and rights depending on the bank |
| Level | Beginner on a small clean day, intermediate on most others |
| Bottom | Sand, with rock and reef sections toward the northern end |
| Tide | Wider working window than the reefs and points further north |
| Best swell | Picks up more swell than the sheltered bay corners — works when the points are flat |
| Best wind | Early morning, before the afternoon onshore builds |
| From Agadir airport | Roughly 30–35 minutes — the closest surf beach to AGA |
| From Tamraght | About 10 minutes south |
| Crowd | Local and city surfers year-round; busier than its reputation suggests |
Sandbanks move. A beach break is a different wave from one season to the next, and any spot guide — this one included — describes tendencies rather than guarantees. Check the day before you paddle out.
What it is actually like
A city beach that happens to catch swell
Anza does not look like the Morocco on the postcards. There is no cluster of surf cafés and no long right-hand point peeling into the distance — it is a working beach on the edge of Agadir, with the city behind it and the Atlantic in front. Locals surf here every day of the year, which is the most useful thing anyone can tell you about a break.
What it lacks in scenery it makes up for in reliability. Its exposure means it picks up swell the sheltered parts of Taghazout Bay miss, and its sand bottom gives it a far wider tide window than the reefs. On a coast where the marquee spots need very specific conditions, a break that works on ordinary days earns its place.
The northern end has rock and reef sections. The middle and southern stretch is the sandier, friendlier part and where a coached beginner session would happen.
Reading the day
When Anza is the right call — and when it is not
The useful question is never "is Anza good?" but "is Anza good today, for me?". These are the six situations a coach is actually weighing when Anza is on the shortlist.
| Conditions | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small, clean, early morning | Good beginner day | Sand bottom, standing-depth white water and a manageable paddle. This is when a first-ever session at Anza makes sense. |
| The northern points are flat | Often the best call in the bay | Anza is more exposed than the sheltered corners, so it holds rideable waves on days the points have nothing. |
| Mid-size and organised | Solid intermediate day | Banks produce shorter, punchier walls than the long point-break rides north — good for practising turns rather than trimming. |
| Big swell | Not a beginner day | Exposure works against you. Size, current and shorebreak build fast, and the sand bottom stops being the forgiving part. |
| Afternoon onshore wind | Usually the wrong call | Beach breaks lose shape to onshore wind faster than points do. The bay’s sheltered options are generally better after lunch. |
| After heavy rain | Check before you paddle | Anza sits beside a city and run-off after rain affects water quality here more than at the more remote breaks north. |
The honest beginner answer
Is Anza good for beginners?
Sometimes, and the qualifier matters more than the answer. Anza has the two things a learner wants — a sand bottom and no reef to land on — but it is also one of the more exposed beaches on this stretch of coast, so it gets bigger, and gets a stronger current, faster than the sheltered options.
Good for a beginner when
- The swell is small and the morning is still clean
- You are in the sandier middle or southern stretch
- Someone has checked the current before you go in
- You already have a few sessions behind you
Go elsewhere when
- It is your first-ever surf session on any day but a tiny one
- The swell has jumped and the shorebreak is dumping
- The afternoon onshore has already ruined the shape
- It has rained heavily in the previous day or two
On the days Anza is wrong for a first-timer, Panoramas and the Tamraght beaches usually are not — which is the entire argument for having a coach choose the spot rather than committing to one beach in advance. More on that in surfing Morocco for beginners and the coaching method.
Access
Getting to Anza
From the airport and the city
Anza is the first surf beach on the coast road north out of Agadir, roughly 30–35 minutes from Agadir Al Massira Airport (AGA) — closer than anywhere else on this coast. From central Agadir it is a short taxi ride. Full arrival logistics are on Agadir airport to Taghazout.
From the surf villages
About 10 minutes south of Tamraght and 15–20 from Taghazout village. If you are staying in the bay, Anza is a short drive in the opposite direction from the famous points — which is precisely why it is useful on the days those points are not working.
Deciding where to base yourself? Compare all three on Taghazout vs Tamraght vs Anza.
Nearby
What else is within a short drive
Anza sits at the southern end of a run of breaks that continues north through Tamraght and Taghazout: Panoramas, Banana Point, La Source, Killers and Anchor Point. Each needs different conditions, which is what makes this coast work as a week rather than a single destination — read the whole set in the Taghazout field guide or nationally in the best surf spots in Morocco.
Anza questions
Surfing Anza — your questions answered
Location, level, tides and whether you should base yourself here.
Where is Anza and how far is it from Agadir?
Anza is a beach on the Atlantic coast immediately north of Agadir, on the road between the city and Taghazout Bay. It is the first surf beach you reach driving north out of Agadir, roughly 30–35 minutes from Agadir Al Massira Airport (AGA) and about ten minutes south of Tamraght.
Is Anza good for beginners?
It can be, on the right day. Anza is a sand-bottom beach break, which is the forgiving part, but it also picks up more swell than the sheltered corners of the bay, and size, current, and shorebreak on a bigger day make it unsuitable for a first-ever session. A coach checking it that morning is the difference between a good beginner day and a bad one.
What tide and swell does Anza work on?
As an exposed sand-bottom beach it holds a wider tide window than the reefs and points further north, which is why it is often the answer when the points are out of their tide. It also picks up smaller swell than those points, making it a common call on flat-ish days and a bad call when the swell is large.
Do Morocco Surf Club guests surf Anza every day?
No. Anza is one option among the breaks the coach chooses between each morning — alongside Tamraght, Taghazout, Banana Point, La Source and Panoramas — based on tide, wind, swell, and the level of that week’s group. Any camp that promises one named spot daily is promising something the ocean does not deliver.
Can I stay in Anza rather than Tamraght?
Yes. Grip Sea Morocco in Anza and our village base in Tamraght are our two stay options, subject to room availability and the written quote. Anza shortens the airport run and lengthens the drive to the northern point breaks.
Next step
Surf Anza with someone who checks it every morning
Anza is one of the breaks we choose between daily, alongside Tamraght, Taghazout, Banana Point, La Source and Panoramas. Send your dates and level and we will tell you what your week is likely to look like — with your total in euros before any deposit.
- Quote before deposit
- Max 5 surfers / week
- Condition-led spot choice
Check availability
Surf & Stay — from €360 / week
Tell us when you want to travel, who is coming, and how you surf. We check the room and coaching space before asking you to pay anything.
- 01Send your dates The form takes about two minutes.
- 02We check the fit Ismael replies personally with room availability and a written quote.
- 03Confirm securely If it works for you, we send a secure Stripe link for the 25% deposit.
Your booking is confirmed by email after the deposit. Read our booking & cancellation policy.
Where the information comes from
How this page was checked
Prices, inclusions, group size, operating history, and coach records come from Morocco Surf Club and describe our own service, not an outside review. We check safety, destination, and travel details against the official links below. You can ask to see the available coach records before payment while we work on a public verification link.
Last checked and updated . Conditions, transport, and entry rules can change, so confirm the latest details before travelling or paddling out.
- Agadir–Taghazout beach and surf overview Moroccan National Tourist Office
- ISA coaching and water-safety standards International Surfing Association
- Surfing safety checklist Royal National Lifeboat Institution