Do not rely on the large rectilinear avenues typical of Moroccan urbanism of the 2000s by which one leaves the airport when arriving in Dakhla. Because if the city develops at the end of the dune cord, it is its lagoon which makes Dakhla a grandiose site. A vast expanse of salt water located in the extreme south of Morocco, this curvaceous ecological treasure, 37 kilometers long and almost 400 square kilometers in area, is a paradise for migratory birds, biodiversity in general and lovers of kitesurfing in particular.
The bay has been Ramsar-listed since 2005, a protected wetland of international importance. Between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sahara Desert, the lagoon is on the migration route for birds between Africa and Europe. The pink flamingos have settled down, but the great cormorants of Morocco are only passing through, like dozens of species of seabirds.
Under the surface of the water, on the ocean side, fishermen take out groupers, bars or croakers. Surfcasting, fishing on foot from the beach “in the wave”, is practiced day and night. The peaceful tides and the calm water of the lagoon also make it a mecca for shellfish farming. The Dakhla oysters, which resemble our specials, are fatty and subtle. They are eaten everywhere, at the hotel table or at the exit of the lockers at Talha Mar, an oyster farm doubled as a restaurant.
The fiddler crab remains the most familiar inhabitant of the lagoon. At the Dakhla Attitude hotel, the muddy areas where these crustaceans live are protected by signs that proclaim “Please do not step on our houses”. The oversized pliers worn by the males have become the hotel’s emblem.
Ideal for kiting, Dakhla Attitude is the oldest accommodation in the bay and the one with the most beautiful location on the lagoon. Its nautical base, which has become legendary in the kitesurfing community, offers all water sports, including wing foil, the latest fashionable novelty. Dakhla Attitude, like the other hotels at the bottom of the lagoon, is largely reserved for those who “kite” or want to discover this sport much easier than it seems. After a week and ten lessons, the pleasure of kiting is already real, enough to choose – or not – to start again.
A thousand shades of blue
Aziz Ouakrim, kite instructor, is one of the precursors of this sport in Dakhla, which he knew twenty years ago: “There were no hotels or international flights. It was the era of motorhomes and wild camping. » Dakhla has long been a sought-after destination for van travelers, especially for a long descent from northern Europe to the Sahara, often with boards and sails in the luggage. Today, the vans are less numerous, gathered in an informal village just before the entrance to the Ocean Vagabond hotel.
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