What is Legzira beach (the stone arches)?

Legzira (sometimes written Legzira or Plage Legzira) is the most photogenic single beach in Morocco, and it sits in a part of the country almost no package tour reaches — about ten kilometres north of Sidi Ifni, roughly two and a half hours south of Agadir down the Atlantic coast road. What makes it special is geology: enormous arches of deep-red sandstone curving out of the cliffs onto the sand, glowing almost crimson when the late sun hits them. The colour at golden hour genuinely does not need a filter.

Honesty matters here because a lot of old photos online are out of date. There were famously two great arches; the larger one collapsed in 2016, so you'll now see one main arch plus smaller formations. Some visitors arrive expecting the postcard with both arches and feel let down — I always tell clients in advance so the remaining arch, which is still spectacular, lands as a delight rather than a disappointment.

Practically: come at low tide. At high tide the sea reaches the cliffs and you can't walk the full beach or get under the arch, so I check the tide table before sending anyone. There are a handful of simple cliff-top guesthouses and fish cafés where you eat grilled sardines looking straight down at the arch — that lunch, with the red rock and the empty beach below, is one of my favourite half-days in the whole south.

This is an Atlantic-south beach, so it is for walking, photography and surf-watching rather than swimming — the water is cold and the currents strong, with no lifeguard. Most people combine Legzira with Sidi Ifni and Mirleft as a two- or three-day southern-coast loop. If you're already going to Agadir or Taghazout and have the time, the drive down is one of the most rewarding detours in Morocco.