Things to do · Rabat
The capital sits on a stretch of Atlantic coast that surfers have quietly enjoyed for decades. From the break beneath the Kasbah des Oudayas to the long open sands at Plage des Nations and the cliff-backed beaches south through Harhoura and Temara, Rabat offers reliable cool-season swells, beginner-friendly surf schools and plenty of room to swim in summer. The water is brisk and the currents are real, so this is a coast best enjoyed with local knowledge — here is where to surf and swim around Rabat.
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Rabat's signature spot sits at the mouth of the Bou Regreg, right below the Kasbah des Oudayas ramparts. It mixes a sandy beach break with reef sections and works best on autumn-to-spring Atlantic swells. The setting — surfing under a 12th-century fortress — is hard to beat, and local clubs gather here daily.
A broad, open beach roughly 15 km north of the city near Sidi Bouknadel. The exposed Atlantic swell makes it stronger and more consistent than the city beach, drawing surfers and bodyboarders, but the same exposure means powerful shore dump and rip currents for swimmers.
The first of the cliff-backed beaches south of the Corniche, in the suburb of Harhoura. Small reef and beach peaks pick up the swell, and the seafront is lined with cafés and fish restaurants, making it an easy half-day escape from the centre.
Continuing south, Temara strings together a series of coves and sandy bays — Contrebandiers, Sables d'Or and others — backed by low cliffs. They are popular with Rabat families in summer and offer mellower surf and more sheltered swimming than the open northern beaches.
Surf clubs operate at the Oudayas river mouth and along the southern beaches, renting boards and wetsuits and running lessons for beginners and improvers. A wetsuit is worth it year-round, as the Atlantic stays cool even in summer.
Tucked beneath the kasbah where the river meets the ocean, this sandy beach is sheltered by the river mouth and is the calmest, easiest place to dip in from the medina. It fills with local families on warm afternoons and is a good spot to watch the surfers offshore.
Across the river mouth from Rabat, Salé's long stretch of sand draws large local crowds in summer. It is wide and breezy, with views back toward the Oudayas ramparts, and offers space to walk well beyond the busy central section.
Further south past Temara, Skhirat is a long, open Atlantic beach known to weekend surfers and swimmers escaping the city. The swell is exposed and the sands are quieter, making it a fuller day trip down the coast road.
Paths and promenades link the city beach, the marina and the Corniche, while the southern coast road threads above the cliffs at Harhoura and Temara. Out of season, walking the seafront for the surf and the Atlantic light is a pleasure in its own right.
Autumn through spring, roughly October to April, brings the most consistent Atlantic swells to the Oudayas break and the beaches north and south of the city. Summer tends to be smaller and better for beginners, swimming and learning.
Surf clubs at the Bou Regreg river mouth by the Oudayas and along the southern beaches at Harhoura and Temara run lessons and rent boards and wetsuits. The mellower summer swell and sheltered city beach are well suited to first-timers.
In summer, yes, but the Atlantic here is cool with a strong swell and rip currents. Swim where it is supervised, take extra care at exposed beaches like Plage des Nations and Skhirat, and keep children close. The sheltered city beach below the kasbah is the calmest.
The sheltered city beach under the Kasbah des Oudayas is the easiest and calmest, while the coves at Temara offer more sheltered swimming than the open northern beaches. Harhoura is handy for its cafés and fish restaurants right on the seafront.
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