COVID-19 Continues: Morocco Restriction Update When Travelling

Over the last few months Local Surf Maroc has been receiving numerous DM’s and PM’s about the circumstances and restrictions in Taghazout Bay, Morocco. Frequently asked questions have included: Is there anything to do? What’s open? Can we go surfing? 

We thought we’d round up answering all the questions about the Coronavirus, State of Emergency, and general expectations if you find yourself in a position to travel to Morocco. 

State of Emergency

Local Surf Maroc COVID-19 Travel Update for Morocco. State of Emergency continues. (c) Steve Estavanik, Shutterstock

Morocco is still in a State of Emergency because of COVID-19. The government has the power to make last minute decisions about travel, curfews, and closures of businesses. The State of Emergency is set to be reviewed by February 10, continuing the trend as a monthly review since it was initiated in March 2020. 

While this sounds ominous, a lot of COVID-19 restrictions have eased since they were initiated making day to day life quite relaxed. We understand and appreciate that the State of Emergency and associated coronavirus restrictions have been put in place to keep Morocco and it’s residents safe. 

The actions appear to have been effective as the number of new COVID-19 positive cases were less than 300 on 1 February 2021

Mandatory Public Use of Face Coverings

Local Surf Maroc owners Christiana and Rachid wearing facemasks while travelling on an airplane in Morocco. (c) Local Surf Maroc

Love them or hate them, or whether you believe they stop the spread of the coronavirus or not, wearing masks is a thing in Morocco and you can expect to have services refused or be turned away from businesses if you’re not wearing one.

Besides facemasks being mandatory for your plane journey over, you can also expect to wear a facemask for other public transport such as buses and taxis, markets, shops, banks, and government offices.

While walking along the beach and boardwalks there is a split between people who do and who don’t wear face coverings. The last we know about rules surrounding wearing masks outdoors is that it is mandatory: police and security personnel wear them, however, people are rarely approached or reprimanded at the moment. 

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t always have a mask on you!

Night Curfew

The Moroccan government announced 1 February, 2021 that its national night curfew has been extended by another 2 weeks. This means that by 9pm, people must be in their homes and shops must close by 8pm, unless they have special permission.

The night curfew puts a damper on nightlife and party vibes, restricting our beloved beach BBQ’s in Taghazout Bay and nights out in Agadir. If you’re planning on coming with a partner, best to plan a romantic breakfast or lunch. With the sun setting around 7:30pm, there’s still plenty of time to catch some last minute waves, meet with friends for tea, and find a terrace to watch the last light and still make it home in time. 

Restaurants & Cafes

Despite the night curfew, Agadir and the Souss-Masa-Draa region is fortunate enough to have restaurants and cafes open for business as usual. During the more strict COVID-19 restrictions, many had to close but were still able to offer Takeaway services. 

Many businesses have put in their best effort to ensure social distancing have been put in place, along with some hygiene measures: hand sanitizers, arrows to direct the flow of people, restricting the number of people, and enforcing the use of face masks until people are seated. All staff regularly wear face masks as well.

Despite the national efforts to ensure the coronavirus is kept in check, many establishments are quite relaxed with the social distancing measures, which has become a double edged sword: for a moment you feel like you’re living life pre-pandemic and can relax into some holiday vibes. On the other hand, you’re taking a risk to be in close proximity to so many other people. 

Spa & Hammam Closures

Spas and Hammams have been considered a luxury and at the highest risk of transmitting the coronavirus. The Moroccan government has decided to close spas and hammans for the time being. Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, hairdressers and barbers still operate and offer services. 

At the time of this blog post, we have not heard any news on when and how they will reopen. If you were hoping to have some pampering done while you were on your travels to Morocco, sadly, you will be disappointed here.

Travel Restrictions

In addition to a national curfew, travel between regions in Morocco has been restricted and controlled to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. 

The highest risk regions of Casablanca and Rabat can be reached with authorization from the commune in Imi Ouaddar. Travelling for visa appointments or transferring via Casablanca airport, you still require official permission to travel within Morocco.

Give yourself plenty of time when getting the authorization and always have your passport, appointment, and travel itinerary to hand. In spite of any preparation, you might still find yourself running around for a document that you thought was insignificant but required by the Commune. 

Temperature Checks

During Local Surf Maroc’s recent travels, we weren’t temperature checked at airports or train stations. 

In our day to day life, most local shops and businesses also don’t check your temperature but require face coverings. However, in larger cities like Agadir, you can expect to have your temperature checked via a thermometer gun before going into government buildings, shopping malls, and large retailers.

Beach Restrictions

Probably the most frequently asked question by all travellers and potential travellers to Morocco: Are the beaches closed? 

Local Surf Maroc doing an Imsouane surf check on an empty beach. (c) Local Surf Maroc

This question hasn’t been easy to answer for us either as the beaches in Morocco have not been universally closed. In Casablanca and Rabat regions where more cases of COVID-19 were reported and the risk of spreading the coronavirus is much higher, the beaches have been open. 

Surfer catching a wave in Rabat. Beaches not restricted in Rabat while they have been closed in Taghazout Bay. (c) Local Surf Maroc

In the Taghazout Bay, where COVID-19 infection numbers have been much lower, many beaches were closed from November to January completely: no surfing, no walking on the sand, and definitely no chilling out on the beach. 

The biggest conundrum is that a person could drive an hour north or south and find beaches with no restrictions and no one was surfing. Then there have been some beaches that were meant to be closed but had surfers in the water. 

Since the middle of January, people were allowed to walk on the beach but not allowed to sit in the sand. As of last week, the point breaks around Taghazout have been opened to surfers but not the beaches themselves: your beach BBQ is still illegal. And while surfing has been permitted, swimming is not.

The point we are trying to make is that we too are lacking proper communication ourselves from the local and regional governments. At Local Surf Maroc, we try to communicate the most accurate and latest information but the government, like with many other countries trying to control the coronavirus and its variants, have been making rule changes at the last minute.

Local Surf Maroc dawn patrol at Anchor Point during beach restrictions of Taghazout Bay area. (c) Local Surf Maroc

Many local surfers have taken to paddling at the crack of dawn or as the sun is setting, or just simply risking it all and surfing whenever the waves are good despite the closures. Surfers are notorious rebels after all.

Obviously this ever changing situation has made it challenging for surf camps, including ourselves to host guests ans provide surf lessons. But if you’ve been keeping up with our InstaGram stories, you’ll have noticed we have had plenty of chances to paddle out and catch a few waves. Our aim as a surf camp is still to give you the best experience possible.

Our advice regarding any travel plans to Morocco is to contact your airline, government websites, or us directly to find out the latest news and state of affairs.