Oualidia Lagoon

Oualidia is a small seaside village on the Atlantic coast about 170 kilometres south-west of Casablanca in Morocco, built around a calm, crescent-shaped lagoon separated from the open sea by a natural sandbar. The sheltered water is warm and shallow, making it one of the best places on the coast for swimming, paddling and relaxing, while the surrounding oyster farms have made the village the country's oyster capital. Visitors can take a small boat trip across the lagoon to the oyster beds, costing roughly 100 to 200 MAD per boat, and taste freshly opened oysters at waterside stalls and restaurants at modest prices, usually accompanied by lemon, bread and white wine or mint tea. The village has a small kasbah, a few hotels and guesthouses, and beaches at the lagoon mouth where waves break on the Atlantic side. Birdlife is notable, with flamingos, herons and migratory waders visible in the shallows in some seasons. A visit takes half a day or longer, and spring to early autumn gives the warmest weather. Summer weekends are crowded with Moroccan families, while weekdays and shoulder months are quiet. Good photo angles are the lagoon from the village jetty, the oyster farms with wooden racks and the sunset over the water. Supratours and CTM coaches from Casablanca take about three hours and cost roughly 80 to 110 MAD. Visitors should confirm the oyster sellers' prices, eat only from busy stalls with good turnover, agree boat fares in advance and bring sun protection.