Oualidia: Useful Information & Activities
Useful Information
Post Offices, Money and Emergencies
The post office and a bank are both situated on the main coast road, just before the descent towards the beaches and the lagoon begins.
The nearest hospitals are either in El-Jadida or Safi. For emergency situations, you can call the standard numbers valid throughout the whole of Morocco:
19 — Police
15 — Firefighters and ambulance
177 — Gendarmerie royale
112 — For any emergency (this one is for calling from cellphones)
Transportation
There are no petit taxis in Oualidia: There is no need for a town which counts just 4,000 inhabitants. Everything can be reached by foot here.
Activities
Beaches
The main beach in Oualidia is the one bordering the lagoon. The advantage of bathing here is that you can swim inside the lagoon without having to worry about the waves or strong ocean currents. But, this beach is very crowded, mostly with locals.
If you prefer the calm waters of the lagoon to the ocean, but want to avoid the crowdy main beach, you can find locals willing to take you with their boat to the beautiful and peaceful sandy shores on the other side of the lagoon. The round trip will cost you around 100 Dh. What's cool is that these boat owners will give you their cell phone number, so that you can call them once you decide to return to Oualidia. Also, make sure to bring water and some food with you if you plan to spend your day here. By the way, these boatsmen will be the only ones that will annoy you (a little bit, really) in Oualidia.
If you like the ocean, its rumbling waves (and really, really cold water) and a place that's more hip, go to the beach on the ocean front, on the opposite side of the main beach. Here, you'll find the Moroccan rich kids and westerners enjoying the sun and the ocean. This beach looks like it's in Europe and can be very pleasant.
Surf
If you'd like to surf in Oualidia, check out Surfland, the club which can teach you how to surf. If you are a seasoned surfer, you can go for the ocean. The fee is around 160 Dh per hour.
Quad Driving on Dunes and Cliffs
Quad driving along the dunes and cliffs of the beaches on the ocean is awesome. Try picking a period during the day when there are no crowds on the beaches, so that you can ride more freely. This is a blast, although it's not so cheap: about 250 Dh for half an hour. Quads can be rented on the beach, right when you pass the hotel L'Initiale.