Safi

Fickle, heavy 500m Moroccan barrel beside a factory

Safi's Garden (Le Jardin) is one of the most fickle yet rewarding waves in Morocco — a heavy, barreling right-hand point break that only comes alive on large west-northwest groundswells, perhaps just a handful of times per year. When it turns on, the wave peels for up to 500 metres along a sand-and-rock bottom north of the massive phosphate port, producing enormous hollow cylinders that can hold 12ft+. Offshore in north to northeast winds. The takeoff is critical and the inside sections are extremely shallow and powerful. Access is straightforward from the coastal road but the wave itself is strictly for expert chargers comfortable in heavy, consequential surf. Best in winter (November-February) when Atlantic storms deliver the required swell. The industrial setting is surreal — world-class barrels breaking beside a factory — but the wave quality is undeniable.

Best months to surf Safi

Wave consistency

Inconsistent

Things to do nearby

• Explore the historic pottery quarter (Colline des Potiers)
• Visit the National Ceramics Museum
• Tour the Ksar el Bahr sea fortress
• Day trip to Essaouira's medina and beaches