What should I wear at the beach in Morocco?

The honest answer is that beachwear in Morocco depends a lot on where you are, and the gap between a resort and a local town beach is wide. At the established tourist beaches and resorts — Agadir above all, plus resort stretches and hotel pools — bikinis and ordinary swimwear are perfectly normal on the sand and around the pool, and you will see plenty of both Moroccan and international visitors dressed that way. These are the places where European beach habits broadly translate, and you can relax accordingly.

Step away from the resort bubble, though, and the picture shifts. At the beaches that locals actually use — the town beaches in places like Essaouira, the smaller coastal spots, and anywhere off the tourist track — you will notice many Moroccan women swim partly or fully clothed, and a foreigner in a tiny bikini stands out and can attract unwanted attention. It is not forbidden, but it is not the local norm, so the considerate move is to read the beach you are on: if everyone around you is covered, a more modest swimsuit and a cover-up will keep you comfortable and respectful.

The rule that holds everywhere is to cover up the moment you leave the sand. Swimwear belongs on the beach and at the pool, not in the street, the café or the medina, so bring a kaftan, a sarong, a kaftan-style cover-up or simply loose shorts and a top to throw on for the walk back. Wandering into a beach town in just a bikini, even in a resort area, reads as disrespectful and is exactly the kind of thing that draws comments — slip the cover-up on as you cross from sand to street and you sidestep the whole issue.

My honest guidance: pack for both worlds. A regular swimsuit for the resorts and pools, a more modest option or a rash vest and shorts for local beaches, and always a cover-up for the transitions — that combination has you comfortable wherever you end up. The coast is one of Morocco's real pleasures, breezy and laid-back after the heat of the interior, and dressing with a little awareness lets you enjoy it without friction. Norms vary by spot and are evolving, so glance at how locals around you are dressed and follow their lead.