Skip to content

Your independent local guide to Essaouira

Essaouira Trips
Kitesurfers and their colourful kites over the sea off a sandy beach

Water & wind

Kitesurf lessons at Diabat, Essaouira

Two-hour lessons on a wide, rock-free beach just south of town with an IKO-certified instructor, from €65 with all the gear and transport included.

Check availabilityAsk Windy Essaouira on WhatsApp
From €65
per person
2 hours per lesson
Duration
Windy Essaouira
Booked with ·

Who runs this

Run by Windy Essaouira. Their own page: kitesurfing in Essaouira.

We earn a small commission on some bookings. It never changes your price.

Duration
2 hours per lesson
Best for
Complete beginners from age 12, improvers, and riders who want coaching
Best season
March to October; strongest wind in July and August
Where it starts
Essaouira, with transport to Diabat beach (8 min) included

The trade winds blow 15 to 25 knots from March to October, strongest and steadiest in July and August. The thermal wind usually fills in around 11am and holds until sunset. Lessons happen at Diabat, eight minutes by car south of Essaouira: the wind there is steadier than in town and blows side-shore, and the beach is wide, sandy and free of rocks, with far fewer people. The school drives you there and back from a meeting point in town.

Learning follows three steps: flying the kite on the beach and in shallow water (the wind window, the safety systems, relaunching from the water), then body-dragging, then the waterstart. Most people body-drag in their first session and get up on the board after six to nine hours, usually three sessions over a few days. With ten to twelve hours spread over a week, most beginners are riding short distances under supervision.

Lessons are run by Windy Essaouira and taught by Mohamed Achhibat, Morocco’s national kitesurf champion and an IKO-certified instructor, in French, English or Arabic. A two-hour group lesson costs €65 (one instructor plus an assistant, one kite and board shared between two), semi-private €90 with your own gear, and private €110. Packages of up to ten hours lower the hourly rate: ten private hours cost €490 instead of €550.

Why it is worth it

  • Diabat: steadier side-shore wind and more space than the town beach
  • IKO-certified instructor, Morocco’s national kitesurf champion
  • Transport to the spot and back included
  • Most beginners are up on the board within 6 to 9 hours

What's included

  • Two hours with an IKO-certified instructor
  • Kite sized for the wind and your weight, board and harness
  • Helmet, impact vest and wetsuit
  • Transport to the spot and back

Good to know

Bring swimwear, sunscreen, a towel and water; sunglasses on a strap help. From June to September the best slots go several days ahead, and the school confirms the day before depending on the wind forecast. Independent riders can rent gear (kites from 7 to 12 m) or join the 20 km downwinder from Moulay Bouzerktoun.

Common questions

Which is the best kitesurf school in Essaouira?

There is no official ranking, and be sceptical of any site that publishes one. What actually separates a good school from a bad one here: an IKO-certified instructor, no more than three or four students per instructor, gear sized to your weight and the day's wind, and lessons on a flat, rock-free beach such as Diabat rather than the busy town beach. The school we work with is Windy Essaouira, run by Mohamed Achhibat, an IKO instructor and Morocco's national kitesurf champion. It is where we send our readers, and we earn a commission on those bookings.

How do you choose a kitesurf school in Essaouira?

Ask four questions before you pay. Is the instructor IKO-certified? How many students per instructor — three or four is right, six is a queue. Are the kite, board, harness, helmet, impact vest and wetsuit all included, and is there transport to the spot? And which beach do they teach on: Diabat is flat, sandy and open, while the town bay is choppier and crowded with swimmers in summer.

How much does a kitesurf lesson cost in Essaouira?

From €65 for a two-hour lesson with all the gear and transport to the spot included. Most beginners need several lessons rather than one, so ask about a multi-lesson package before booking a single session.

How long does it take to learn to kitesurf?

Most beginners are riding on the board after six to nine hours in the water, which is three to five lessons. Getting upwind reliably takes longer. Light, steady wind helps more than talent, which is why Essaouira in spring and summer is a good place to start.

When is the best time to kitesurf in Essaouira?

April to September, when the trade winds blow most afternoons, typically 15 to 25 knots. Winter still gets windy days but they are less regular, and the water is colder. Book a morning slot in summer if you want calmer conditions for a first lesson.

Where do you learn to kitesurf in Essaouira?

Lessons are taught at Diabat, about eight minutes south of town, where the beach is wide and flat with side-shore wind and no rocks. The town bay is used by surfers, swimmers and beginners on the water together, so it is not the place to learn to fly a kite.

More things to do

From

€65

Check availability