STEP 1: ONE WEEK OF REMOTE WORK AT PARADIS PLAGE

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What better way to ease into the holiday than by having a weekend to relax on the beach, then continuing to work remotely but with blue skies and palm trees as the background to any online meeting and with your feet in the sand. The Paradis Plage Resort offered the perfect setup for this workation: one week in a little apartment with kitchenette with access to the extensive vegetarian breakfast buffet, pool area, in- and outdoor gym close to the beach, spa, daily movie nights, and a free yoga session in the Shala looking out on to the waves. We prepped a little salad lunch from the breakfast buffet and stored it in our fridge, so that we’d only have to venture out for the occasional Tajine at one of the nearby local street restaurants for dinner. Starting our days with a 7:30am meditation at the beach, followed by a cold plunge in the ocean, a little gym session mid day between meetings and then relaxing at the pool or one of the beach beds once the laptop was closed at 5pm – one could get used to this kind of home office setup. Taghazout is only a 10-minute taxi ride (100 MAD, a little less with the In Drive app) away and offers a bigger variety of dinner options than the immediate surroundings of the resort.

Staying at Paradis Plage felt like the perfect “Rundum-Sorglos-Paket” for working remotely (all-round worry-free package), as we say in German. A stable wifi connection and spacious patio to work from, while soaking up the sun and 25°C at the end of November. The resort struck just the right size—spacious enough for guests to feel comfortably dispersed, yet compact enough that no facility was more than a 5-minute stroll from our room. The glass fronted indoor-outdoor gym by the beach was definitely one of our highlights, with daily stretching, pilates or cross fit sessions, all included in the price. If we needed a break from our private terrace, the beach bar provided a refreshing change of scenery to work from for a couple of hours. Food was another thing we didn’t have to worry about. The extensive breakfast buffet offered an unmatched variety of sweet and savoury dishes, with 99% of the options being vegetarian and many plant-based. Think bread, pastries, rice crackers, fruits, nuts, steamed vegetables, beans, potato wedges, traditional Moroccan pancakes, the famous almond butter ‘Amlou,’ a full salad bar, olives, eggs, chia pudding, and more. For dinner, the hotel’s restaurants catered well to veggie and vegan preferences, offering dishes like poke bowls, hummus platters, stir-fried vegetables, or a veggie burger. However, the prices were steep, with the poke bowl, for example, priced at an eye-watering €18.

STEP 2: ONE WEEK YOGA & SURF CAMP AT EASY SURF MAROC

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I couldn’t have asked for a better first surf experience than the one at Easy Surf Maroc. Starting with the beautiful accommodation, the rooftop invites you to enjoy the stunning view over the ocean, relax with a good book, or stretch out after a long surf day during a sunset yoga session in the Shala. The culinary offer is simply divine, also catering to plant-based diets, and never leaving a single unsatisfied belly or soul. And not to mention the staff and surf instructors, with their endless patience and charme, making the group grow together as a family in only a week’s time.

A day’s schedule at Easy Surf Maroc:
7am – waking up (we started every day with a self-led meditation session on the rooftop, followed by some yoga and reading)
8am – morning yoga (alternating with sunset yoga)
9am – breakfast (a mix of traditional Moroccan dishes, fruit, yoghurt, bread, and not to forget: the famous Moroccan almond butter ‘Amlou’)
10:30am – leaving by van for the beach of the day, depending on the waves
12pm – usually the start of the first session in the water, guided by the 3 surf instructors who divide the group based on experience level
2pm – lunch (salad or sandwich provided) & chill time at the beach to nap or read or do whatever you feel like doing
2:30pm – second surf session of the day
4pm – packing up to go back to the villa
6:45pm – sunset yoga (alternating with morning yoga)
8pm – dinner (menu rotates per week)
10pm – bed time (not that anyone demands this, but our experience showed that surf days both start and finish early)

On a day where the weather conditions weren’t ideal, we took a trip to the nearby Paradise Valley for a little hike and dipping our feed into the water. The 45-minute drive took us past an organic herb garden and Argan oil factory. Another 45 minutes of hiking later and we enjoyed our packed lunch, a quiet read, afternoon nap or jump into the water at the canyon.

It’s save to say that this was one of, if not THE best holiday I’ve ever had. There’s something about the combination of trying something for the first time, being active and mindful every day, detoxing from your phone and constant online contact with people, good food, early nights, reading through several great books, 8+ hours of sleep every night, waking up without an alarm, vitamin D and walking around in sandals and short sleeves in November. I honestly can’t wait for next November to do the exact same thing again.

STEP 3: 4 DAYS IN MARRAKECH

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I decided to wrap up my holiday by taking a 4-hour bus from Tamraght to Marrakech for a little solo trip exploring the city. The Souk to Surf Shuttle, a comfortable Mercedes van seating 17 people, made for a convenient and affordable way to travel from the coast to the iconic “Red City.” As you approach the city limits, it’s hard to miss where the 1 million metropole got its nickname: terracotta-coloured buildings and bricks stretch as far as the eye can see. The bustling Medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies at the heart of the city and has been expanding rapidly from a couple of thousand shops some years ago to an estimated 12.000 today.

My hostel was tucked into the very center of this hurrying market, hidden at the end of one of its labyrinth-like alleys. Dragging my suitcase over the uneven ground, past stalls that seemed to repeat in an endless loop, I felt a wave of gratitude for the positive mark left by these past two weeks. Had I not just recharged with all the sunshine, surfing, yoga, and meditation, the Medina’s relentless energy—the noise, the jostling crowds, and the persistent vendors—might have overwhelmed me. But: I wouldn’t be writing you this guide on how to reach that absolute zen-state in which NOTHING can shake you anymore, if I hadn’t already reached it myself.

So I crossed the Plaza Rahba Kedima and turned down another bustling street of the Medina. Three more turns later, passing half a dozen stray cats prowling the narrow alleys, the noise started softening into a distant hum. Another turn, just when I thought I had gotten lost, and I find myself in front of a heavy wooden door with the letters ‘EARTH’ hand painted on it. The serene rooftop of the Earth Hostel became my sanctuary for my time in Marrakech. Starting each day here with the familiar routine of the past weeks: morning meditation, journaling and yoga, savouring the stillness above the city’s chaos. Relaxing after the only tourist attractions I visited, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent and Jardin Majorelle. And finally, starting to write down my thoughts and experiences of these incredible three weeks spent in Morocco. Which leads me to the last step…

STEP 4: ENJOY AND SAVOUR FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE

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This trip was everything I didn’t know I needed—a perfect escape from the grey Amsterdam winter. Trying surfing for the first time tested my patience, yoga and meditation calmed my mind, and the time spent in Marrakech reminded me of how much I enjoy solo traveling. At the risk of sounding like a cliché: these three weeks were about embracing moments of joy with best friends, distancing myself from the constant need to be part of something, and finding peace in simply reading a book or doing nothing at all. Coming home, I feel recharged in a way that makes winter feel less daunting and I will do my best to hold on to this zen-state for as long as possible. While expecting it to last a full year might be a stretch, next November—and hence, the next escape to Morocco—will be here before we know it.

MY TIPS & RECOMMENDATIONS

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• Here’s our pack list of things you might not think about but really shouldn’t forget to bring for your week of surfing:
  – Tupperware (to pack any snacks from breakfast for the beach day)
  – Portable salt & pepper shaker (lunch can often use a dash of seasoning)
  – Thermal cup (if you want to bring tea from breakfast or get a fresh Moroccan tea at the beach without having to use a paper cup every time)
  – Beach towel
  – Cap + enough hair ties / clips for a wave-safe hairstyle
  – Games + a good book
• Make sure to take a taxi out to the Skatepark Taghazout at sunset. The performance of the guys (sadly we didn’t see any girls on the half pipes when we went) is breathtaking. Grab some cold drinks and nuts from the food cart, lean back and enjoy the show against the gorgeous sunset backdrop.
• The HORIZON Spa house in Taghazout offers a great 2h Hammam + Massage package for €50.
• Adventurekeys Surf Camp in Taghazout offered a beautiful Coworking Space with great wifi overlooking the ocean. Price per night was €18 + an extra 100 MAD per day to use the co-working. If you need a quiet place to work from and have lots of calls, I would definitely recommend the space and paying extra for it. After one day, I switched to working from the sitting area on the rooftop (which still catches the great wifi from the coworking) and nearby cafés, since I was buying my coffee and food there anyway and so could save the 100 MAD of the coworking.
• Teapot Cafe in Taghazout offers a great variety of vegan dishes and has a free co-working space upstairs, if you order something off their menu. A nice alternative to my hostel since I grabbed lunch / coffee here anyway. The Café is open until late, so also a great option for dinner.
• Red Clay Cafe – a fully vegan place in Taghazout with delicious pastries, breakfast and lunch options. Wifi was stable most of the time and I spent 2 full days working from here (co-working is allowed, if you order off the menu).
• Souk to Surf offers bus rides from the surfing spots on the coast (Taghazout, Tamraght, Agadir) to Marrakech for €25 each way
• In Drive is the Moroccan Uber and gets you taxi rides ~30% cheaper than on the streets. Be aware that In Drive and regular taxi drivers don’t necessarily get along well, so your In Drive driver will always pick you up and drop you off in a spot that’s further away from any taxi drivers / meeting points.
• I stayed at the Earth Hostel in Marrakech, which feels like an oasis of calmness in the middle of the Medina. €13 per night, quite extensive breakfast included, and you can book a home cooked ‘family’ dinner for 70 MAD. Location is great (~20 min walk from where the Souk to Surf bus drops you) and the staff is extremely friendly.
• I would recommend visiting the Musée Yves Saint Laurent (€14) and Jardin Majorelle (€16). Although touristic, the garden is gorgeous and the architecture of the museum stunning. Tickets can easily be bought online, beforehand or on the spot in front of the entrances via the free wifi provided.
• Our flight connection was Amsterdam-Casablanca-Agadir but if you’re travelling with other people, it might make more sense to book direct flights to Marrakech and share a €90 taxi (3 hour trip) from the Marrakech airport to Taghazout
• All-in budget for a 3-week trip: €2.600
  (This is a very generous budget for a full ‘treat-yourself’ mentality holiday, incl. massages, spices to bring back home from the market, regular iced coffees with plant-based milk – which are basically priced the same as in Amsterdam)