Are there beaches good for families in Morocco?

Morocco isn't only desert and medinas — it has a long Atlantic coastline, and several spots are genuinely excellent for families. The honest caveat up front: this is the Atlantic, not the calm warm Med, so the water is cooler and the surf and currents can be strong on exposed beaches. The trick is choosing the sheltered, family-geared beaches and swimming where it's supervised and protected, and then the coast becomes a wonderful part of a family trip.

For an out-and-out family beach holiday, Agadir is the clear winner. It's a purpose-built resort city with a vast crescent of soft golden sand, a sunny microclimate, a long promenade, gentle shelving in the sheltered bay and the easiest swimming on the coast, plus every family facility — resort pools, cafés, camel and pony rides on the sand, and calm conditions most of the year. It's where I send families who simply want beach, sun and relaxation, and it pairs beautifully with the inland adventures earlier in a trip.

Essaouira is a different, lovely flavour: a wide, firm beach famous for wind (great for kite-flying and, for older kids, windsurf lessons), with beach camel and horse rides, a walkable low-hassle medina and a relaxed vibe. It's breezier than Agadir so less about lazy swimming and more about active beach fun. For the calmest swimming of all, the lagoon at Oualidia — a sheltered crescent protected from the open ocean — is a quiet gem for families with little ones, with safe, gentle water, oysters for the grown-ups and a low-key village feel. El Jadida nearby also has calmer beaches and a fun Portuguese fortress to explore.

If you have older children or teens keen on surfing, Taghazout (just north of Agadir) is Morocco's laid-back surf capital, with surf schools running lessons for all levels and a fun, young beach-town atmosphere — a brilliant base for an active family. Wherever you swim, a few safety basics matter on the Atlantic: stick to sheltered, lifeguarded sections, watch for currents and rip tides on the exposed beaches, keep little ones in the shallows, and be sun-smart, as the breeze masks a strong sun. Mornings are often calmer than blustery afternoons.

My honest steer: yes, Morocco has great family beaches — just match the spot to your needs. Agadir for easy sun-and-swim, Essaouira for breezy active fun and beach rides, Oualidia for the calmest paddling with little ones, and Taghazout for surfing teens. A few coastal days are the perfect, relaxing bookend to a Morocco trip, and our two-day Agadir itinerary is an easy way to fold the coast into a family plan.