Beach · Moulay Bouzerktoune
Plage de Moulay Bouzerktoune
A cove of sand about 160 m long, facing the rock slab where the windsurfers’ right-hand wave breaks. It is a launch for experienced sailors and a grandstand for everyone else, not a swimming beach. Come from March to June, when the swell builds, or for the Wave Classic, 24 April to 1 May 2027.
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What is on the sand: 160 metres and a slab
Moulay Bouzerktoune beach (مولاي بوزرقطون) is a cove about 160 m long. In front of the sand, a rock slab lifts a wave that peels to the right. The wind runs along the shore from March to October and reaches force 7 in summer. Of the beaches along Essaouira’s coast, this is the one for the wave, not for a beach day.
The sand is a launch for experienced windsurfers and kiters, and our windsurfing section sets out the level you need before rigging here. To learn or to swim, the main beach on Essaouira bay is the right stretch of water. For surfing, head instead for Sidi Kaouki beach, south of town.
Our view: even without a board, come on a day with swell. An hour sitting at the edge of the cove is enough to see why a beginner has no business on this wave.
When to come: spring swell and the Wave Classic
Magic Fun, the village windsurf centre, reports 1.5 to 3 m of swell from March to June. In summer the wind picks up and the wave shrinks. In autumn the swell returns with less wind.
The PWA opened its 2018 season here with its first windsurfing World Cup in Morocco. The men’s qualifier ran from 27 March. Iballa Moreno won the first women-only wave event held on the tour.
Since 2023 the Wave Classic, a stop on the WWT Euro-African tour, has come back every spring. The 2027 edition is set for 24 April to 1 May, in seven categories. In 2025, with a window from 26 April to 3 May, it ran every heat in two days, according to the German magazine Surf. The organisers count 78 riders that year, the magazine nearly a hundred.
On the wind, the sources disagree. The Wave Classic organisers promise wind on 85% of days, averaging 18 to 25 knots. Magic Fun gives only force 7 at the height of summer. No independent measurement for the spot is published, so check the wind forecast for each spot before you set off.
Our advice: come during the Wave Classic, on a day when heats are running. Stay on the sand and clear of the launch area: the event website says nothing about spectators. On 24 April 2027 the sun sets at about 19:14, Moroccan time (GMT).
The shrine, the village and what to avoid
About 420 m north of the cove stands a mausoleum, that of Sidi Bou Zarktoun (سيدي بوزرقطون). We found no published source on the saint, nor on any moussem. Our view: look at it from outside, and do not photograph people who come to pray.
As for the bus, Lima Bus, which runs the lines around Essaouira, publishes no list of stops. None of its nine lines is named after the village. Its line 8 to Akermoud has departures by the coast road: call +212 661 21 34 26 to ask whether it stops at Moulay Bouzerktoune. Rooms, places to eat and the drive or taxi ride are covered on our page on Moulay Bouzerktoune village.
What to avoid, first of all: swimming. The wave breaks on rock, and we found no information on lifeguard cover. Do not walk on the slab while boards are coming in on the wave. Our rule: never sail alone, and anyone not sailing stays on the sand.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you swim at Moulay Bouzerktoune beach?
We advise against it. The wave breaks on a rock slab and we found no information on lifeguard cover. To swim, choose the main beach on Essaouira bay.
Where can you watch the windsurfers at Moulay Bouzerktoune?
From the sand cove, which faces the wave. Come between March and June, when the swell reaches 1.5 to 3 m. The Wave Classic runs from 24 April to 1 May 2027.
When is the Moulay Bouzerktoune Wave Classic?
The 2027 edition is set for 24 April to 1 May, on the WWT Euro-African tour. Heats only run on days with wind and waves: in 2025 they fitted into two days.
Is Moulay Bouzerktoune good for beginners?
No. It is a wave spot for experienced windsurfers and kiters, in front of a rock slab. Learn on Essaouira bay, then come back here.
When are there waves at Moulay Bouzerktoune?
From March to June, with 1.5 to 3 m of swell. In summer the wind strengthens and the wave drops. Autumn brings the swell back, with less wind.
Is there a bus to Moulay Bouzerktoune?
Lima Bus publishes no list of stops, and none of its lines is named after the village. Call the operator on +212 661 21 34 26 before relying on its line 8 to Akermoud, or take a grand taxi from Bab Doukkala.