Morocco is the ideal place to explore the clear blue bays and mountainous shores of the southern Mediterranean Coast.
Morocco’s Mediterranean Coast offers a wealth of vacation opportunities, including some of the most beautiful beaches in the country.
Resort towns like Saidia and Al Hoceima offer all-inclusive packages for a stress-free stay, while smaller towns like El Jebha and Oued Laou provide a more authentic local experience and undeveloped beaches.
We recommend hotels, resorts, restaurants, and out-of-the-way towns to help you plan your Moroccan beach vacation.
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Al-Hoceima
Al Hoceima is one of the most popular resort towns in the country, with several great swimming beaches and a range of accommodation options. Quemado Beach, in the city center, has a wide stretch of soft sand, and Tala Youssef Beach, eight miles west, is equally nice and often less crowded.
The town is backed by the Rif Mountains, so when you’re not swimming or sun bathing, you can hike through the foothills and valleys of this famous range.
Where to Stay
Casa Paca Alhucemas Guesthouse
This peaceful guesthouse offers a sweeping view of the Mediterranean coastline, overlooking the beach, mountains in the distance, and the bay. A tasty breakfast is included with your stay, and dinner is available upon request.
The owners are kind and hospitable and go out of their way to make your stay special and comfortable.
Hotel Mira Palace
Another option with a beautiful view of the Sea, Hotel Mira Palace has excellent staff, large, clean, modern, rooms, a pool and a lovely terrace, and breakfast included.
The hotel is located a little bit outside the city center, which is easily accessible by taxi. The coast is within walking distance and there are two beaches just a short drive away.
Hotel Al Hoceima Bay
Hotel Al Hoceima Bay offers comfortable rooms with a colorful, modern, style. It has a pool, gardens with lounge chairs, and a beautiful breakfast buffet.
It is located 15 minutes away from the center city by car, but less than ten minutes walking to a great beach. Service is top notch.
Where to Eat
The restaurants at hotels and resorts are usually good options, as they are conveniently located, used to catering to foreigners, and often quite good! Al Hoceima has plenty of other choices in the city as well.
For one of the best views, go to Espace Miramar, located on Rue Abdelmalik Saadi, for a coffee and pastry.
For excellent fresh fish in a simple setting on the water, try Restaurant Sidi Bousaid, located at Km 38 Route Cotiere. Or, for a coffee break in the city, stop into the chic European-style Cafeino, on Rue Bir Anzarane in the Centre Commercial Marjane.
Don’t hesitate to ask your hotel manager for advice, too – they’ll have the latest on the best places to eat fresh seafood and classic local dishes.
Saidia
Saidia is another one of Morocco’s most popular beach cities, with a mild Mediterranean climate, golden sands, and one of the country’s longest beaches. It is a young city by Moroccan standards, as it was built by the Arabs just a few hundred years ago.
The city itself is small – just 4,000 residents. It primarily caters to tourists, and there isn’t much to do outside of the resorts, beaches, golfing, and shopping. Plage Saidia, the main city beach, is within walking distance of many hotels and restaurants. It tends to have calm water and is great for relaxing.
Plage Cap d’Eau is also a good swimming beach, located at the end of highway N16 near Ras El Ma. This beach is located about ten miles outside of the city center.
When you’re not soaking up the sun and enjoying the warm waters of the Mediterranean, you can play a round of golf, do some shopping at one of the malls, visit the 19th century fort, or book a scuba driving lesson or boat trip.
The large resorts also offer entertainment programs and can help you plan your stay.
Where to Stay
Melia Saidia Beach All Inclusive Resort
This 5-star, all-inclusive beachfront resort offers every amenity you’ll need to make your stay relaxing, comfortable, and fun. Rooms are clean and elegantly decorated; there is a pool, spa, and terrace; multiple bars and restaurants within the resort, and friendly, professional service.
Melia Beach GardenIn the same complex as the Melia Saidia Beach Resort in the Saidia Garden Golf Resort, also managed by the Melia group. The Garden resort is just minutes from the beach and adjacent to the golf course and the Saidia marina and shopping center.
While both resorts offer easy access to the beach and the city, the Melia Beach offers direct beachfront access while Melia Garden caters to visitors who also want to spend time golfing and exploring the city.
This luxury beachfront resort provides everything you need for your stay, including comfortable, modern rooms, a pool with a large terrace, umbrellas, and lounge chairs, delicious food, internet, daily activities, and more.
Where to Eat
If you are staying at a hotel with a restaurant, or one of the all-inclusive resorts, it may be easiest to eat most of your meals there. Many hotels that aren’t all-inclusive still offer delicious traditional meals regularly or by request.
When you want to head into town, ask your hotel manager for their recommendations on seafood restaurants- the best places are often simple, unassuming spots that make a great fish tagine or grilled sardines.
You can also buy fresh fish from the central fish market, then take it to one of the restaurant stalls with the market and have it cooked for you!
If you want something other than seafood, check out Le Marbella for a selection of simple American and European plates including pizza, burgers, grilled meat, and crepes, as well as coffee and tea.
It is nicely decorated but inexpensive, and located on Boulevard Hassan II.
More Beaches
If you prefer to avoid large resorts, spend your beach vacation in Oued Laou, a small town about two hours east of Tangier. From Tangier, can get there by grand taxi, which may involve some amount of waiting and bargaining over the price, or by private vehicle.
From Tetouan, it will be easier to find a grand (shared) taxi or to take the 45-minute public bus ride.
There are a few hotels and a handful of restaurants and cafes. The beach is much less busy here than some of the larger resort towns, especially outside of the June-September tourist season, so you can almost always find an empty spot to relax.
If you go, make sure to try the fresh fish brought into the port, and visit the Tuesday market in the town square.
Another small town with lovely beaches is El Jebha. The dramatically curving coast wraps around bays of clear blue water that are prefect for swimming.
There are great beaches on the both the east and west sides of the town, which is an important local center for fishing and trade. Accommodations are limited in the town – just two hotels and a few restaurants. It is located about 3.5 hours east of Tangier.
Cabo Negro offers a mix of a smaller town feel with more amenities. It is easily accessible from Tangier – just 1.5 hours east – and has two beautiful beaches with fine sand and plenty of accommodation options including hotels and vacation rentals .
There is also a world-class golf course, horseback riding facilities, night clubs, and tennis courts.
Wherever you go, you can be sure to find friendly people, soft sand, warm water, delicious food, and gorgeous scenery on the beaches of Morocco’s Mediterranean coast.