Can you go fishing in Morocco?

Fishing is a lovely, low-key way to see a different side of Morocco, and there is far more of it than people expect because the country has two coastlines and trout-filled mountains in between. On the Atlantic, the cold, nutrient-rich water makes for serious sport fishing — Dakhla in the deep south is famous for big game and shore fishing (huge corvina, meagre, sea bass and sharks from the beach), while Agadir and Essaouira run boat charters out for tuna, bonito, dorado and the like. Standing on an Atlantic beach at dawn casting into the surf, with nobody around for miles, is its own kind of magic.

For a gentler experience, the working harbours — Essaouira, Agadir, the Mediterranean ports up north near Al Hoceima and Tangier — are full of small boats whose skippers will happily take you out for a few hours of line fishing. It is unpretentious, often inexpensive, and a wonderful window into coastal Moroccan life; many will cook your catch for you afterwards or point you to a harbour grill that will. I have arranged simple half-day trips like this for families and they end up being a highlight precisely because they are so real and unhurried.

The surprise for most people is the mountain trout fishing. The High and Middle Atlas have cold, clear streams and a series of dammed lakes (around Ifrane, Azrou and the cedar forests) that were stocked with trout decades ago and offer genuine fly-fishing in gorgeous alpine-feeling scenery — cedar forests, Barbary macaques in the trees, snow on the peaks. The season for the rivers is typically spring into early summer, and you need a permit, which a guide or lodge can sort. It is a world away from the desert clichés and utterly charming.

A few honest notes. For anything beyond a casual harbour trip you should fish with a licensed operator who handles permits and regulations — freshwater fishing in particular requires a permit and respects closed seasons to protect stocks. Big-game charters book up in peak months, so plan ahead, and Dakhla specifically is remote (a flight down) and suits a dedicated trip. Bring your own favourite gear if you are particular, though charters and lodges provide everything.

Tell me what kind of fishing speaks to you — the adrenaline of an Atlantic big-game charter, a relaxed harbour outing the kids can join, or solitary fly-casting in a cedar-shaded mountain stream — and I will arrange the right guide, boat or lodge and weave it into your route. It is one of those activities that gives you a completely different, quieter Morocco.