Morocco Yoga & Surf Week: Marrakech, Atlas Mountains & Taghazout Bay

Yalla Yoga runs yoga holidays in Morocco twice a year, in spring and autumn, and this one is the eight-day version that combines the city, the mountains and the coast. The two owners are sisters, and they lead the trips personally rather than handing you off to local reps. Both are British Wheel of Yoga trained, and they take a small group — no more than fourteen — so classes stay workable.

The first four nights are in a riad in Marrakech, a courtyard house with a plunge pool and a roof terrace where morning yoga happens. You'll be a fifteen-minute walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa and the souks, and the schedule includes a guided walk through both. There's a traditional cooking class at the riad one evening, where you learn to make a tagine and a couple of salads from scratch. Mornings start with 75 minutes of yoga before breakfast, and there's usually a second, gentler session before dinner.

Mid-week you take a day trip to the Ourika Valley in the High Atlas, about 90 minutes from Marrakech. You walk to the Setti Fatma waterfalls with a local guide, then eat lunch in a Berber family's home — usually a tagine cooked over charcoal, bread, and mint tea. It's a proper hike rather than a stroll, so bring shoes with grip.

On day five you transfer west to Taghazout Bay, roughly three hours by minibus, and check into a suite at a surf camp on the beach. The second half of the week is structured around the tide: sunrise yoga on the terrace, breakfast, then a two-hour surf lesson or free surf depending on your level. Instructors are local Moroccan surfers, and beginners get beach instruction before paddling out. There are three coached sessions included, with boards and wetsuits supplied. One afternoon is kept free for the fishing village of Taghazout and the walled town of Taroudant, or you can just sit on the terrace.

What sets this apart from the many Morocco yoga retreats is the mix — most are either city-only or coast-only, and this one does both without feeling rushed, plus the Atlas day in the middle. The two founders being on the trip rather than a hired teacher is unusual at this price point too.

What's included

- 8 days / 7 nights accommodation (4 nights in a Marrakech riad, 3 nights in a beachfront surf camp suite) - Daily breakfast - Most dinners (Moroccan tagines, salads, couscous) - Traditional Moroccan cooking class at the riad - Daily yoga classes (morning and evening, most days) - Guided tour of the Marrakech souks and Jemaa el-Fnaa - Day trip to the Ourika Valley in the Atlas Mountains with a local guide - Lunch with a Berber family in the Ourika Valley - Three coached surf sessions at Taghazout Bay with equipment (board and wetsuit) - Excursion to Taghazout village and Taroudant - Airport transfers from Marrakech Menara Airport and to Agadir Al Massira Airport - All transport between Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains and Taghazout Bay - Yoga mats available at both properties

What's not included

- Flights to Marrakech and from Agadir - Travel insurance (mandatory) - Most lunches - Drinks other than water with meals - Hammam and spa treatments - Alcohol - Personal expenses and souvenirs - Optional activities not listed in the itinerary - Single room supplement (if applicable) - Tips for guides, drivers and surf instructors