Beach · Imsouane
La baie d’Imsouane
Imsouane Bay’s right-hander starts at the harbour wall and runs over sand. Its length made its name, yet no measurement has ever been published. From 2016 to 2025, the swell tops 2 m in 65% of February hours and a third of October ones. Access is free.
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A right-hander off the harbour wall, and a length no published measurement pins down
The bay’s wave is a right-hand point break over sand. It breaks just south of the harbour, at 30.837° N, 9.820° W. On good days, the take-off is at the foot of the harbour wall. From there the wave runs towards the beach. There are two ways out to the peak: over the rocks below the village, or by water through the channel.
The wave’s length is what made the village’s name, yet no figure comes from a published measurement. Surf sites quote lengths that do not match one another. Our advice: come for a long, even wave, not for a record. A handful of clean rides is enough to fill a morning.
To the north-west, Cathedral Point is the village’s other spot. It is sometimes listed as a beach break, but the local camps describe a powerful right for experienced surfers. The road, the camps and the village itself are on our Imsouane page.
When to go: the winter swell
Offshore from Imsouane, the swell tops 2 m for 65% of the hours in February, against 26% in August and September. Its mean period climbs from 6.4 seconds in July to 10.7 seconds in February. These are our own figures, from ten years of data covering 2016 to 2025. The main season runs from November to March, when the wind drops.
The sources do not all agree. In 2018 a Moroccan surf site presented Imsouane as a summer spot that works all year round. One guide sees summer rather as the season for beginners, with smaller waves and a quieter line-up. No official source gives advice on the tide: ask the village schools which part of the day suits the bay.
Our advice: as a beginner, pick October. The swell tops 2 m only a third of the time then, with a period already at 9.1 seconds. Experienced surfers should aim for November to March. If the swell is too big for you, Sidi Kaouki beach is only 26 km from Essaouira. For a first lesson, Essaouira’s town beach is all you need.
Around the wave: the harbour, the lighthouse, a demolished seafront
The wave starts at the foot of a small fishing harbour. A lighthouse marks the point, beside a boatyard and a shop run by a fishermen’s cooperative. The sand beach is only exposed at low tide.
The bay front has changed. The demolitions began on 18 or 19 January 2024, depending on the paper. They targeted houses, guesthouses, surf clubs and restaurants built on the public maritime domain, in the Cathedral area and along the bay front. One shopkeeper counted around 30 businesses and 80 homes. By August 2024 new businesses faced the bay, alongside temporary six-month kiosks.
Our advice: do not choose a café or a board-hire shop from a photo taken before 2024. We found no published rental prices, so ask before you take a board out.
The culture ministry lists the “Site de Tafelni et Imsouane” among Essaouira’s five protected sites, by an order of 21 January 1949. The ministry’s online list gives only that name, with no boundary, so it does not say whether the listing covers the bay itself. Yet the village now belongs to Agadir Ida-Outanane prefecture. To compare it with the beaches closer to town, or to find a school, see our surf pages, spot by spot.
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Frequently asked questions
How long is the wave at Imsouane?
No measurement has ever been published, and surf sites quote lengths that do not match. Come for a long, even wave, not for a record.
What tide is best for surfing Imsouane Bay?
No official source publishes it, so ask the village schools which part of the day works. The sand beach itself is only exposed at low tide.
Do you have to pay to get into Imsouane Bay?
No, access is free and open, with no ticket and no hours. We found no published board-hire prices, so ask before you rent.
Which month is best to surf Imsouane as a beginner?
October, in our view. The swell tops 2 m a third of the time, against 65% in February, over ten years of data. Stay out of the harbour line-up on big winter days.
Was Imsouane demolished?
Partly. From 18 or 19 January 2024, depending on the paper, houses, guesthouses, surf clubs and restaurants built on the maritime domain were pulled down. New businesses reopened facing the bay in 2024.
Is Imsouane Bay in Essaouira province?
No, Imsouane belongs to Agadir Ida-Outanane prefecture, in the Souss-Massa region. The culture ministry still files its 1949 protected site under Essaouira.