Panoramas is the wave at the south end of Taghazout, where the village beach runs out into rocks. You'll sometimes hear older surfers call it Bloody Point. One story goes that butchers used to work above it and the blood ran down into the sea. Whether that's true or just a good story, nobody seems sure. Today it's one of the most useful waves in the village, because it works for almost everyone on the right day.
Where it is
A five-minute walk from the middle of Taghazout, heading south along the seafront. Some people paddle out from the village beach and let the current carry them down to the headland. If you're driving, park in the village and walk. There's nowhere sensible to leave a car right at the spot.
How the wave works
A right-hand point off the end of a sandy beach, with some beach-break peaks inside it. The bottom is mostly sand with rock at the point. It likes a north-west swell with some north in it. A straight west swell tends to make it fast and close-outy.
The tide changes its character completely. At low to mid it's faster and hollower, with sections to hit, which suits good surfers. As the tide fills in it softens into a mellow wave that improvers can enjoy.
- Swell: north-west, best with a bit of north
- Wind: east to north-east offshore
- Tide: low to mid for performance, higher for something gentler
- Season: winter. In summer it's mostly flat.
- Level: all levels when it's small. It gets serious when it's big.
Things to know
- Current. It runs along the beach towards the point, and on bigger days it's hard work paddling against it. Keep an eye on where you're drifting.
- Rocks at the point. Don't ride all the way into them.
- Big days. When a huge swell hits and the points up north are maxing out, Panoramas can be one of the few surfable waves nearby. Watch it before you go out: the currents get stronger too.
After a session, Panorama restaurant right above has one of the best sunset terraces in the village.
The live forecast for Panoramas is on this page above.