Morocco Yoga & Surf Fitness Escape at Villa Mandala

Villa Mandala sits in Aourir, a small village about 15 minutes north of Agadir and a short drive from Taghazout. It's a beachfront property with a rooftop yoga shala surrounded by glass doors that open to views of the ocean and mountains. The shala is fully equipped — mats, blocks, straps, bolsters, blankets, sandbags, lavender eye pillows — and each guest gets their own yogi towel (drip-dot mat) for the week, so you're not packing a mat.

A typical day starts with 7:30am sunrise yoga, 90 minutes of intelligently sequenced Vinyasa flow. Breakfast follows at 9:30 — fresh fruit, eggs, homemade vegan pancakes, Moroccan pastries, super smoothies, granola, fresh coffee. By 10:30 you're in the van heading to whichever surf spot is working. Lessons run 11am to 1pm, then a picnic lunch on the beach: wholesome salads, homemade falafels, fresh fruit. Afternoon supervised free-surfing gives you time to practice what you just learned. Back at the villa by 4pm for afternoon tea and cake, then 5:30pm sunset yoga — the style changes daily (Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative) depending on what the group needs. Dinner is at 7:30, a spread of poolside tapas followed by a gourmet vegetarian main.

The food is vegetarian and genuinely good — this isn't a retreat where you tolerate the meals to get to the surfing. Breakfast is a hearty buffet with eggs any way, vegan pancakes, homebaked Moroccan patisseries, yogurt, granola, dried fruits and nuts. Lunch is a packed mini-buffet you take to the beach — salads, falafels, fresh fruit. Dinner is the main event: Moroccan classics reinvented (tagines, beetroot patties) plus international dishes, and desserts like avocado-chocolate-date mousse. They can cater to most dietary requirements with advance notice.

The surf program runs on four levels. Level 1 is complete beginners — beach instruction, then waist-deep water working on board handling, safety, reading ocean conditions, paddling, catching broken waves prone. Level 2 is for people who've surfed before and are practicing getting up in white water — focus on paddle technique, catching waves unassisted, and pop-up. Level 3 is outback surfers catching green waves and turning — paddle-out technique, board control, quicker take-offs, wave selection theory. Level 4 is for surfers catching head-high green waves at beach breaks who want to lose bad habits and increase wave count. There are typically at least two instructors, so different levels can split into separate groups.

What sets this apart from a standard surf camp is the yoga. You get 3 hours a day if you want it, and the teachers are experienced enough to run a progressive week — foundations at the start, then building. Classes are individually themed and can include meditation, chanting, pranayama, visualization, and yoga philosophy alongside the physical practice. One-to-one tuition is available on request, 30 minutes to an hour, for working on specific goals. The evening classes are designed around post-surf recovery: restorative, yin, yoga nidra. If you're wrecked from paddling, that's exactly what you need.

What's included

- 7 nights beachfront accommodation at Villa Mandala - Healthy breakfast, packed lunch, afternoon tea, and vegetarian gourmet evening meals - 1.5 hours Sunrise Vinyasa yoga every day - 1.5 hours Sunset yoga (various styles) every day - Daily transport to beaches and surf spots - 6 surf coaching sessions with qualified instructors - Professional guides who know the best waves for your ability - Standard surfboard and wetsuit rental - Beach towel and bath towel provided - Yogi towel (drip-dot mat) for the week - Excursion: Agadir souk, Argan cooperative, or sand dunes (at least one) - Agadir airport transfers (for 7+ night package stays) - Complimentary surf session on departure day if leaving after 15:00

What's not included

- International flights - Travel insurance - Visas (not required for EU/US passport holders for tourism) - Alcoholic drinks (available for purchase at Amouage bar) - Meals and drinks outside the retreat package - Optional activities: camel/horse riding, hammam, massage, spa treatments - Day trips to Essaouira, Taroudant, or Paradise Valley - Laundry service (100 dirhams per load) - Personal expenses and souvenirs - Transfers from locations other than Agadir airport