Paddle surf en Lalla Takerkoust

Lalla Takerkoust is a reservoir built in 1929 to irrigate the Haouz plain, fifty minutes southwest of Marrakech. The water is usually still before eleven, which is when you go out. Boards, paddles and buoyancy aids are set up on the shore, and the briefing takes fifteen minutes for anyone who has not stood on a board before.

Two hours on the water, tracking the shoreline toward the dam wall with the High Atlas rising directly behind it. A guide paddles with you. Halfway there is a stop on a gravel beach for tea and, in season, a swim.

Lunch afterward is on a terrace above the lake: grilled fish, salads, fruit. The pace is unhurried and it takes mixed groups, including children from eight who paddle with an adult. Water level varies from year to year, and the concierge confirms conditions before the day.