Are there beach resorts in Morocco?

Yes, though Morocco's beach scene looks different from the Mediterranean package-holiday image some people arrive with. The headline resort destination is Agadir, on the southern Atlantic coast — a modern city largely rebuilt after the 1960 earthquake, with a huge crescent of golden sand, a long promenade, and a strip of family-friendly resort hotels with pools, kids' clubs and all the trimmings. It gets a lot of sun year-round, the water's swimmable if bracing (it's the Atlantic, so cooler than the Med), and it's the closest Morocco comes to a classic beach-resort holiday with culture day-trips on the side.

Just up the coast from Agadir, Taghazout and the surrounding villages are the surf-resort hub — once a hippie fishing village, now a string of surf camps, yoga retreats, boutique beach hotels and a famously laid-back vibe. It draws a younger, more active crowd than Agadir's family resorts, and the new Taghazout Bay development has added some upscale resorts and a golf course. If your idea of a beach holiday includes a board and a sunrise session rather than a poolside lounger, this stretch is where you want to be.

The Mediterranean north is the other resort zone and often overlooked. Saïdia, near the Algerian border, is a sprawling purpose-built resort town with one of the longest beaches in the country and the warmest, calmest swimming water in Morocco. Tangier has reinvented its seafront with smart hotels, and Al Hoceima and the Rif coast have beautiful coves. The Med water is noticeably warmer and gentler than the Atlantic, which matters if you actually want to swim rather than just admire the surf.

I'll be honest about the trade-off, because it shapes the recommendation. Morocco does big resorts well in Agadir and Saïdia, but they're modern and somewhat generic — you go for the beach and the comfort, not the postcard medina charm. If you want coast with character, Essaouira is my pick: it's a gorgeous walled town with boutique riads and beach hotels rather than mega-resorts, though it's windy (great for kitesurfers, less so for sunbathers). My usual advice is to pair things — a culture base in Marrakech or Fes, then unwind on the coast — and choose Agadir/Saïdia for facilities or Essaouira/Taghazout for soul.