Oualidia.

Oualidia sits on a long lagoon halfway between Casablanca and Essaouira, and the surf splits into two very different experiences. Inside the lagoon, the water is sheltered and the waves are small, slow and well-covered - a forgiving sand-bottom playground long used by local surf schools to teach kids and visitors. Outside the lagoon mouth, the open beach throws up exposed a-frame peaks across short rideable sections in the 0 to 50 metre range, with the standout break locally known as Les Tomates. That outside zone catches almost any swell from SW through N and is often blown out or disorganised when winds turn onshore, but it cleans up cleanly under south-easterly offshores. Access to the outside peaks means crossing the lagoon, which adds a planning step that keeps crowds modest most days. The town itself is best known beyond surfing for its oyster farms and seafood restaurants, which gives the spot a relaxed, food-driven base camp feel rather than a hardcore surf-town atmosphere.

Gentle lagoon swells filtered through sandbanks, autumn Atlantic peaks at mid-tide.