Surf’s up, dude! (From Swindon Advertiser)

Surf’s up, dude!

5:38pm Tuesday 1st November 2011 in Holiday Reviews

WITH the last of the summer sun behind us for another year, only the bravest of Brits would set foot in our own autumn waves. Maybe it’s time to pack the flip flops and cure those blues with a bit of winter sun...

As most of us are tightening our purse strings for the season ahead, why not take a budget break to North Africa?

Surf’s up in Morocco – in fact, October to February is the best time to go if you are looking for some big breaks. Take a three-hour flight from Stansted to Agadir and head down to the Atlantic coast to catch the perfect wave.

With year-round sunshine, the west coast of Morocco boasts some of the most stunning, remote and varying shore lines in the world. From Devil’s Rock to Anchor Point, if surfing is your thing, this is the ideal cheap getaway.

From only £19 a night you can stay at Devil’s Rock Surf Club in Tamraght and let the surf team take care of all your needs. They pick you up from the airport and take you to their beachfront accommodation, where a chef cooks you a feast of local delights. They take care of your holiday from start to finish, from surf lessons to a dune buggy safari in the Sahara, a day trip to the bustling souks of Marrakesh or a hike into Paradise Valley, with its crystal clear, fresh waters and stunning scenery. There is always something to do.

The level of surfing here is from beginner to professional. This stretch of the Atlantic coast was made famous in the 1960s by Jimi Hendrix and the hippy trail, and you can still feel good vibrations of times gone by, The guitar lines of The Stone Roses’ All Across The Sands, which was written here, can almost be heard as the tide crashes against the rocks at Killer Point.

Our welcome at the airport by two of the Devil’s Rock surf crew was warm and friendly. Our cases were put into the back of a 4x4 and we were whisked off up the coast on a 30-minute ride to our villa.

The rooms were clean, spacious and comfortable, with plenty of fresh linen and towels, and there was a kitchen and dining area where we were free to cook our own meals or have a local family do it for us.

As we were tired from our journey we chose the latter and a pre-booked supper was ready on our arrival – an authentic Moroccan cuisine made in a clay pot called a tajine. We watched the sunset from the rooftop terrace with a mint tea, before getting an early night ready for a dawn surf – the swell in the mornings is fantastic.

A surf champion from Cornwall was our tutor for the week and, as some in our party hadn’t been on a board before, we started from the beginning. All the gear, from boards to wetsuits, was provided, and the Devil’s Rock surf crew took care of our every need.

After being crashed about by 10-foot waves all morning we had a light lunch on the beach then relaxed on the sun terrace for the rest of the afternoon, planning out our week. We chose to surf every morning before taking a different excursion each day, so by the end of the week we had done so much on our tight budgets there was still enough money left for the bustling souks, where we haggled for gifts of spices and curios to take home for loved ones.

TRAVEL FACTS Phil Brady stayed at Devil’s Rock Surf camp, Tamraght in Morocco.

Call 07889 156160 from the UK, or go to www.devilsrocksurfcamp.co.uk A shared room and breakfast costs £19 per person per night, and a double room (pictured) and breakfast is £49 per room per night. Dorms and family rooms are also available, with prices negotiable.

Surf lessons are £25 for a half day, or £39 for a full day. Board hire is £6, and wetsuit hire is £6. A one to one private lesson is £39.

Surf packages holidays are also available. For instance, a beginners’ surf holiday including seven nights’ accommodation, five surf lessons and kit hire, airport transfers, transport to the beginner wave spots and transport on trips within a 10km radius costs £320 per person (shared room), £360 per person (own room) or £630 per couple (double room) for full board, or £280 per person (shared room), £310 per person (own room), and £600 per couple (double room) for half board.

Excursions include Paradise Valley for £26, Marrakesh for £49, Essaouira (relaxed seaside town made popular by the 1970s hippy trail) for £34, and Agadir for £8.