A former fishing village on the west coast of Morocco, Taghazout Bay is home to the largest spa in the region and, as L360 editor Mattie Lacey-Davidson discovers, a multitude of wellness activities.
Maybe it was letting a stranger wash my naked body from head to toe, maybe it was taking a break from my one-year-old for the first time, or maybe it was the abundance of wellness activities I undertook in a matter of days… Whatever it was, I remain amazed at how my time in Taghazout Bay managed not simply to refresh me but reset me, in many ways.
Nowhere near as popular as the bustling city of Marrakesh, this beach town is set to soar in popularity over the next five years as the country works to develop the area ahead of hosting a number of football tournaments at stadiums across the country, including nearby Agadir. These will include the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the next five editions (starting 2025), and a joint hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. And for the Fairmont Hotel here, wellness is considered key to attracting new visitors.
So, if retreating to Morocco for a relaxing wellness holiday appeals, I’d book asap. Here’s what to expect…
Where to stay in Taghazout Bay: Fairmont Hotel
Under an hour’s drive from Agadir Airport in good traffic, Fairmont Taghazout Bay was the first luxury hotel to put down roots in the town and remains one of the best places to stay along the coast.
The hotel stretches out along the bay with a private area sitting atop the public beach, where you’ll see camels passing by as surfers ride waves behind. In the distance, you might even spot someone trying their hand – or foot, perhaps I should say – at sandboarding.
Inside you’ll find three bars – my favourite was Junipers, where cocktails are made using herbs from the surrounding garden – and four restaurants including Morimoto (from famed Japanese chef Masaharu Morimoto) and Paper Moon, a local branch of a world-renowned Italian restaurant.
It’s also home to an incredible three-storey spa, in which the hotel has carefully woven new wellness concepts together with age-old Moroccan traditions.
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The best spa in Morocco, with an unmissable experience
Fairmont Taghazout’s spa is an incredible 19,000sq feet spread across three floors, with both indoor and outdoor areas. You’ll find modern offerings such as advanced anti-ageing facials and a magnesium swimming pool (fantastic for boosting skin health and aiding muscle recovery) alongside a number of traditional treatments, including hammam and sound therapy.
Remember when I mentioned a stranger washing my naked body? That was during a traditional Moroccan hammam, which I’d recommend above all else.
An age-old ritual across North Africa and the Middle East, it was an exceptionally unique experience for this uptight (verging on surly) Londoner. A full-body treatment that began with being told to remove my robe – at which point I paused momentarily for my practitioner to leave the room, as is common practice for massages, but pointless in hammam where you’re naked throughout – before lying on a concrete bed.
From here I was washed and scrubbed from head to toe with products from homegrown brand Moroccan Rituals. The process also includes a full-body steam, for which she took my hand and led me, still naked, from one room to another. From this moment on I felt like a child, and I relished it. As a mother myself, the experience of having someone else care for me so meticulously was momentarily transformative and left me at ease for days. Of course, this might seem a little too intimate for some. In that case, I’d opt for a facial with in-house skincare brand Natura Bissé.
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Surfers ride a wave at Anchor Point, Taghazout Bay, Morocco
Take your pick of fitness classes and hiking through Paradise Valley
Whether you’re arriving with experience or as a total novice, you can book a variety of exercise classes for you alone or in groups up to four.
You can book boxing and kickboxing classes with the expert gym trainers, and arrange yoga classes in the dedicated spa studio or at a secluded natural beauty spot nearby. Surfers can head straight onto the beach outside the hotel before exploring the best spots along the coastline.
A hike through argan forests and Paradise Valley, however, is arguably Taghazout Bay’s most unique offering.
This valley in the Atlas Mountains was named thanks to locals thinking of it as paradise on Earth. The rocky terrain is adorned with huge palm trees as well as banana, olive and fig trees, with waterfalls and turquoise blue pools dotted throughout. Here you can hike, swim, scramble along rocks to reach untouched areas and cliff-jump down waterfalls.
The hotel can even arrange for a local to take you on a tour of secluded Berber communities, to learn about argan farming and experience a traditional Moroccan dinner in a family home.
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Eat and learn about argan oil at a unique museum
Most of us are familiar with argan oil as a beauty product, known for both its skin and hair care benefits, but did you know you can eat it too? Prior to the extraction process, the kernels are roasted to enhance the oil’s flavour – making it perfect for drizzling over salad, couscous and even fruit.
You can learn all about the oil at Targant, the first and only argan museum in the world, found in Taghazout Bay – and you can taste it at the museum restaurant, too. The museum teaches you everything there is to know about argan, from how the argan trees grow and the laborious process of extraction completed only by women – or machines, these days – to its myriad uses across both food and beauty.
Here, too, I learned that – while the country may be famed for argan oil – beekeeping is also one of its largest industries.
The two products actually cross paths in the form of argan honey, made from bees who gather pollen almost entirely from argan trees. You’ll find it at breakfast at the Fairmont (where there’s a table dedicated to honey varieties) or in amlou – a Moroccan spread combining argan oil, honey and crushed almonds (similar to crunchy peanut butter). And at Targant’s restaurant you’ll even find amlou ice cream.
Visit a Moroccan souk for a taste of Marrakesh
You could always combine your visit to Taghazout Bay with a trip to Marrakesh, but you’re looking at a three-and-a-half-hour drive (at least). You can, however, have a little taste with a trip to Taghazout village, just above the bay.
In the maze of small, winding roads adorned by blue walls, look out for street art as you make your way around. You can stop for Moroccan tea, which is poured twice to create bubbles on the surface, or eat in a local restaurant; be warned – couscous, for which the country is famed, is often reserved for Fridays. And there is, of course, a souk where you can shop (and haggle) to your heart’s content.
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Is Taghazout Bay in Morocco worth visiting?
This Moroccan beach town is firmly reserved for surfing, wellness and relaxation. Other than the argan museum and souk, there’s not much sightseeing to be done in Taghazout Bay. If you’re someone who likes a full itinerary of activities and exploration, this might not be the spot for you. Of course, you can fill your day with hiking, surfing, yoga and spa treatments, but it definitely forces you to slow down a little, which – for me – was much needed (and thoroughly enjoyed).
