Things to do in Dakhla

The best Things to do in Dakhla, Morocco

Dakhla Morocco there are a number of places that are great for kiteboarding and windsurfing. They are all on the ocean – so you have to be prepared for quite cool water (+18 in summer) and waves. First of all, the city of Essaouira – a bay with a large beach, where from May to August always blows north winds, parallel to the shoreline. Sidi Kaouki (30 km south of Essouira) is a bay with a sandy beach at 5 km and winds along the shore. This bay is considered a great place for freestyle enthusiasts. Moulay Bouzerktoune (25km north of Essaouira) is one of the best spots on the coast for windsurfing. The winds are stronger here than in Essaouira. A small beach with 50m high tide, long and fairly high waves. Cap Ghir (120km to Agadir) is a great place for speed surfers.

If we talk about classic surfing, Morocco offers fans of the sport of surfing 1800 km of the coast of the North Atlantic. The conditions are suitable for beginners and advanced surfers alike. Surfing schools and surf camps are well developed, especially in the Agadir/Taghazout area, where the best waves in Morocco arrive in the bay from Cape Guid to the village of Taghazout.

Between September and April, strong tidal waves, combined with the movement of north Atlantic waters and winds from the shore, make Agadir a surfer’s dream. However, the best waves come to these areas, as well as the Essouveira region, in December and through March.

In late March and early April, and during the summer months, the waves are much smaller and the best conditions at this time are around Rabat.

November is the rainy season and is a less favorable month for surfing in Morocco.

Dakhla is a town located in the Moroccan governed territory of Western Sahara, located on a narrow peninsula off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), a former Spanish colony, places this land in its territory. But since this state is only partially recognized, to date it does not control most of the lands it claims. In fact, this region is not controlled in any way by the SADR. It borders Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, and Mauritania to the east and south; it is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

The city of Dakhla is 550 km south of the largest city of Western Sahara, called El Aaiún. It has a population of about 75,000. The city’s economy is based on fishing.

The main spot of Dakhla is the lagoon between the mainland and the peninsula, which is 13 km wide and about 40 km long. That is, the spot is not directly on the ocean, but is closed by a strip of land 2-3 km wide. The campsites are on the shore on the side of the mainland. Rescue service operates, of course, in a fairly limited space near the station.

The spot is 30 kilometers from Dakhla itself (which incidentally has an airport), or 1000 kilometers from Agadir in Morocco, and 1200 kilometers from Marrakech.

At high tide, the lagoon appears quite a large area of shallow water, riding in it is a pleasure. Only sometimes (it depends on the wind direction) there is a torn wind because of the high dunes. Therefore, it is still better to ride in the deep water here. The traffic on the water is not so dense – although the camp is designed for 300 people, it is rarely filled to 100%.

In Dakhla, the main season usually lasts from April to November, when the winds don’t die down at all. The rest of the year the wind also blows but not 100% of the time but 70%.

Windsurfers are usually not very numerous here. The kiteboarding area in Dakhla is organized as follows: the new kiteboarders ride higher in the wind, a bit lower in the wind is the area for other kiteboarders and even lower – the area for windsurfers.

Weather in Dakhla almost all year round is the same – about 22-23 C water temperature (you can ride without a wetsuit or in 3 / 2 mm), 25-30 C – daytime air temperature. At night it is quite cold – the temperature gradients are large because of the close desert and cold canary currents, so at night it is often 14-18 C.

About 10 minutes walk from the station is the so-called “speed spot” – a place with a squeeze wind and smooth water, there are no lifeguards there. This place is used by pro athletes and riders preparing for KPWT and PKRA competitions.

In the lagoon are present several kite camps. The best equipped station today is probably the Kitemorocco center. Its main advantage is that you live directly on the spot.

The campsite has shared and double or single tents (the toilet and shower there are shared outside, but all very well-appointed), as well as double and single bungalows with their own amenities in the cabin.

Features of the beach: a width of 100 meters, sandy, corals, fish, jellyfish, barnacles, urchins – no.

The wind blows in the spring and summer constantly – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sometimes steady and strong, sometimes a little weaker in the morning, and in the afternoon and evening becomes stronger. The most comfortable kite sizes are 6, 7, 9, 10. Usual wind direction is cross-onshore (i.e. at an angle to the shore).