Oualidia: 48 Hours In Morocco’s Little-Known Lagoon Paradise
After visiting the heady souks of Marrakech, slip down a few gears at Oualidia, where the pace is as unhurried as the tide that shapes its ever-shifting landscape. We’ve found the village’s best places to stay, and things to eat and see.
Morocco's
Morocco'sAtlantic beaches teem with tourists recharging from
the intoxicating, sense-assaulting city of Marrakech. While most hotfoot it to Essaouira or
Casablanca, local residents escape the incoming
hordes by heading in the opposite direction to lesser-trodden
Oualidia ("Waa-lee-dee-a"). Within three hours of Marrakech by car,
the blue-shuttered houses of this small, soulful town hook around a
lagoon, shielded from the wild Atlantic by rocky promontories.
The traditional fishing village was first put on the map when a
royal palace was built for former sultan Mohammed V, who spent many
holidays in Oualidia. Today, the still-guarded villa remains empty
and in disarray alongside a crumbling 17th-century kasbah designed
by the town's namesake, Sultan El Oualid - but the village's
reputation as a summer playground lingers. In an effort to retain
its character, the current king Mohammed VI banned waterfront
construction following a visit in 2010, and only a few hotels are
scattered throughout the whitewashed village.
The pace of life is as slow and unhurried as the tide that
shapes its shifting landscape of lagoon islands and sandbars. In
August, colourful wooden boats cart Moroccan holiday-goers from
beach to hotel to restaurant. Come September, the town belongs to the locals again. Long,
leisurely days are spent kayaking or sailing, passing reed-lined
banks that shelter brooding storks and elegant egrets. Spoonbills,
avocets, cormorants, kingfishers: the casting list of support
actors leads to the star of the show - the magnificent flamingo. In
October, the northern tip of the lagoon is partially hidden beneath
a cloud of candy-pink waders.
It's not just a flamboyance of flamingos that feasts on the
bounty of the water. Oualidia is known as the "oyster capital of
Morocco", with freshly shucked huitres that taste of the ocean sold
at beachfront shacks. At dusk, groups of young tousled surfers
pause to haggle over a few-dozen huge molluscs to take back to
their rented fishermen's houses. Groups of chic Marrakshis sample
them baked au gratin or à la ciboulette (roasted with cream and
chives) at the unpretentious seafood restaurants attached to
waterside oyster farms - easily distinguished for their bone-white
cube architecture.
Oualidia isn't the place to go if you want a buzzy nightlife or
cool scene; it's the place to do nothing more complicated than
watch the tidal island appear and vanish before you like a
mirage.
hotel
La Sultana Oualidia
Built like a grand Moorish fort, La Sultana is tucked away among
palm-strewn gardens and koi ponds on the edge of the lagoon. Just
12 rooms and suites create an intimate feel; many look out over the
Atlantic, some open onto private terraces - the best with outdoor
whirlpool baths. A large infinity pool seeps into the horizon,
while a colonnaded indoor pool is part of the tranquil spa, where
expert therapists carry out argan-oil massages in marbled treatment
rooms. Breakfasts are served al fresco on a wooden deck - a lavish
affair of homemade pumpkin- and fig-jams, pastries, freshly baked
breads, local cheeses as well as made-to-order Moroccan pancakes
and Berber omelettes. Later, lunch is served on the beachfront
terrace where a sea-to-plate menu lists urchins, oysters and the
catch of the day. The seafood platter is piled with lobster, prawns
and crab, best shared with friends on the wooden jetty to spot
avocets without needing the house binoculars. From here, guests
embark on flamingo-spotting boat excursions, kayaking trips and
tours of the oyster farms.
A more casual option is the family run Hôtel L'Hippocampe.
Colourful gardens wrap around a small outdoor pool and 23 no-frills
rooms and suites - the latter offering lagoon views and a private
terrace. Families who want a bit more privacy should book one of
the apartments, located just outside the gates, where separate
living rooms with sofa beds accommodate kids (guests can use all
the hotel facilities). The wood-panelled restaurant is a cosy spot,
with an open fireplace and traditional tiled floors. Tables and
chairs spill out onto a stone terrace, which juts over the water,
and the menu is crammed with day-fresh fish and seafood dishes.
This unassuming restaurant is attached to the longest-running
oyster farm in Oualidia, which has been luring in-the-know foodies
since 1947. It is also one of the best spots to catch a sunset. As
the sky bruises lilac and purple, slurp huge, succulent huîtres,
washed down with a glass of crisp Moroccan white. The molluscs also
come cooked every which way, from au gratin to tureen (soup) or a
la ciboulette. If you've had your fill of oysters, opt for the
spaghetti aux fruits de mer (with seafood) or the locally caught
filet de sole drizzled in a tangy orange sauce.
Full-length windows frame views of the lagoon and, beyond, the
Atlantic Ocean here. The decor is simple - mismatched wooden
chairs, white linen, tiled floors - but the food is excellent.
Standouts include the lobster or crevettes, although the fruits de
mer platter offers both these and more (think: oysters, sea urchin
and spider crab). Ask after the catch of the day, which could be
bass or bream, depending on the season. Expect large plates and low
prices.
In spring (March to May) and autumn (August until early
November), flocks of migrating birds flying between Spain and
southern Africa stop over at the northern tip of the lagoon. Rent a
motorised boat or sign up for a birdwatching safari with La
Sultana, where a knowledgeable guide points out everything from the
black-winged stilt with its comical bandy legs to the little stint
scurrying busily across the shallows. Storks in Morocco are as
common as sparrows in England - "we have a lot of babies here",
jokes Nabil, a local birding expert. Visit in September when
candy-pink flamingos descend in droves to feast on the shrimp-rich
waters.
This image is on holiday
thingstodo
Oyster Farms
You can't visit the oyster capital of Morocco without sampling
its most famed shellfish. The first oyster farm was opened in 1947,
and today around 200 tonnes of oysters are produced in Oualidia
each year. Take a boat ride to discover a string of the white
cube-like buildings poised on the rocky shores, where you can learn
about the production process and take part in tastings - often with
a glass of vin blanc.
This image is on holiday
A jigsaw of lagoons and sandbanks, Oualidia is an ever-shifting
spectacle, and is particularly magical at dusk. Take a peaceful dip
in the clear, calm waters as the light falls to see the sun
brushstroke the sky pink and lilac. There's nothing more
soul-soothing than floating on your back, with only the putter of
silhouetted fishing boats interrupting the silence, as the blushing
landscape goes into overdrive.
From the main beach, La Grande, the crowds clustering around the
seafood shacks empty out the further south you head. On foot, it'd
take over an hour before you reach the near-deserted stretches, but
venturing out on horseback covers a lot of ground in little time.
Many centres specialise in Arabian horses, majestic steeds with
rippling coats and wild manes, which dance along the shore in a
cloud of sand and flicking hooves. You'll trot through undulating
dunes and along yawning beaches, weaving around powdery bays and
pausing on lofty headlands, protected from the ocean spray by
honeycombed rocky outcrops that bear the brunt. Local guides reveal
hidden caves (sans cheveux), crawling through rocky tunnels to
discover extraordinary natural stone windows framing views of the
crashing Atlantic far below.
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