Oualidia

A long, sheltered lagoon separated from the ocean by a strip of sand. The water is calm and shallow in many places: the place for a first swim with children, a kayak or a paddle at high tide.

The lagoon and its marshes are a protected wetland, where flamingos, herons and many waders stop on their way, especially in autumn and winter.

Oualidia is known across Morocco for its oyster farms, set up in the lagoon in the last century. They are eaten fresh, by the water, with fish and seafood from the morning’s catch.

On the lagoon side, a family beach with calm water. Past the sandbar, the open Atlantic, its waves and its long walks at low tide. The coast here is also a gentle place to learn to surf.

The village takes its name from the Saadian sultan El Oualid, who had a kasbah built here in the 17th century. Above the lagoon you can also see the former summer residence of King Mohammed V.