Achakar (Tangier)

Achakar (Tangier) is a wide sandy beach at the base of Cap Spartel, reached by a drive west of Tangier and with parking that still requires walking onto the sand. Water conditions are generally described as clean, and the beach is large enough for rigging and practice, though rocks at the ends and occasional near-shore rocks mean you should keep a close eye on where you launch and swim. For wind sports, the favorable direction is West to North-West. The key safety point is that the Chergui (East) wind is often offshore here and can be dangerous and gusty for kiters—so you need to be certain the wind stays in the West/North-West range before committing. In addition, hills and Cape Spartel to the north can create turbulence in northerly directions. Kitesurfing is primarily described as a wave riding and freeride spot, with seasonal Atlantic swell supporting wave sessions. Wind strengths are commonly quoted around 15–25 knots, and kite sizes often fall in the 9–12 m range most of the time (with smaller sizes for stronger winter/storm conditions). Expect moderate gustiness and occasional summer sea-breeze influence during afternoon periods. Surfing is also a strong seasonal use case: the beach-break peaks are described as consistent for visitors and locals, with a working swell window roughly around 1.0–2.5 meters coming from the W to NW. However, bigger swells can get heavy and disorganized, and stronger currents can develop on certain conditions—so even for beginners it’s important to respect the water movement and beach crowding in summer.