Moroccan Dirt Bike Adventure: Trails, Sand Dunes & Epic Views!

We were off on our Moroccan dirt bike micro adventure!!! Our first experience of riding in Morocco and it was a good'un!! In this short blog I'll mainly be talking about the logistics and riding, with just a little bit of the 'down time' stuff added in...mainly food, ha ha!

Just as an aside, to make sure we were covered for 'Offroad' riding we took out Carole Nash travel insurance with the top activity pack selected. Many companies do not cover this, so make sure you check your insurance before you travel!

Agadir airport

Getting There

The flight time from Bristol to Agadir, on the coast of Morocco, is a mere 3 hours and 10 minutes (winds depending). Plus, the flights in themselves were super cheap (between £18.99 and £24.99 per person, per flight)...it's just the addition of bags that hikes the price up, but even then it was relatively cheap at just under £200 per person all-in.

Amazingly this was our first time flying with our helmets as hand luggage, and despite a few horror stories online about crazy strict rules and being whacked with extra, extortionate charges (mainly flying with Ryan Air it seems), there were no issues at all for us. FYI, we flew EasyJet, and it really was easy!

Moroccan traffic!

Our friend Jack, and owner of 'Dirt 'N' Dust Tours' (who we rented the bikes off) was on a supermarket run in Agadir (the one place you can get your hands on Alcohol in the big Carrefour there) so was able to pick us up from the airport, which was really nice and took one thing of the faffing about in a new country list! We had planned to use the 'inDrive' app (like Uber), but no need.

A fabulous selection of grains and spices at the supermarket!

All stocked up and ready to go we headed North to Awrir, a very Moroccan town, sandwiched between some larger, very touristy towns. We were really happy that we would be staying somewhere more akin to real Moroccan life, albeit they were still very used to tourists, and a good few people spoke English. All of my French had vanished out of my head with the use of more Spanish over the past few years, and my Arabic is non-existent, so when it came to language, I was completely useless for once! Charades it was then, ha ha!

Tagine’s cooking at a local eatery. Yes please!

Jonny, Helen, Jack, and Kelvin tucking in to a tasty tagine

There were several of us staying at Jack's AirBnB place including our very seasoned traveller friend Helen, a couple travelling on bikes (Emma and Mike), a chap from North Wales called Jonny, and of course ourselves and Jack. A nice sized group, everyone super friendly, and most of us would be trail riding, with the exception of Mike and Emma who were planning to head home for Christmas and generally preferred the tarmac option.

Interesting looking rocks on the local beach in Awrir

The gang enjoying the sun setting at the beach…hard life!

Day 1: Prep & Recovery

Day one was all about bike prep and nursing hangovers due to consuming far too much Moroccan red wine in the excitement of catching up with friends and getting to Morocco at last! A seat needed to be lowered and recovered for the GasGas 450 that I'd be using, as well as the fitting of a lowering link Jack had acquired especially.

The boys sorting out a mousse changeover…well, Jack sorting it! Jonny, Mike and Kelvin giving some moral support, lol!

Jack kindly sculpting the seat on one of the Gas Gas 450’s ready for a short-arse rider!

Being able to get toes down both sides was a HUGE plus for my somewhat anxious brain, ha ha! Finding an upholsterer locally was very easy, and unbelivably quick and cheap...plus the seat was actually comfortable despite the lack of foam. Excellent!

A happy chappy sorting out the coverings for the seat

The final few staples going in! Just amazing how quickly, cheaply and effectively this guy managed to sort the seat out. Spot on!

Day 2: Mud, Mayhem & Moroccan Tacos

Our first ride attempt was… interesting. I say attempt as it was unexpectedly raining, and the lovely, usually hard-packed trails had turned to a sticky, clay-like mud. We set off from the house with great enthusiasm, filled up with fuel and found the first (and only) trail of the day.

Kitted up and ready to go!

I think that few kilometers took me the best part of an hour, and all of my energy!! Cue death grip and arm pump, ha ha! Actually, I have no idea how long it took, but it seemed like ages as the bike was squirrelling around on what felt like ice, and I was in definite 'chicken legs' mode, plus a few bike pick-ups.

Heavy concentration from Suzie navigating the slippery mud…but still smiling!

Walking in this mud was like having weights attached to the bottom of your boots! Sticky shit!!

The theory works well....pin it! The others were proof of that, although we all had mud clumped up in every possible orifice of the poor bikes. However, there was no chance I was doing that as I'd definitely end up with something broken on day one of riding, and I really was looking forward to the rest of the trip in the dry. Sadly a stone or something in the mud decided to jam itself in my front sprocket, lifting the chain off and shunting it up in to the side casing.

One caked tyre!!!

Kelvin being his usual helpful self while Jack sorts out the front sprocket issue in the slightly sub-standard workshop conditions!

Fortunately, Jack being a dab hand at sorting shit like this in his trail guide role, was on it straight away. Despite the less than optimal workshop conditions (a slight understatement) he got the issue sorted as me and Helen tried to lever out some of the thick mud around the chain and wheel. Yippee, the bike was good to go! I made the decision to call it quits for the day, as did the others...besides, Moroccan 'Tacos' were calling. Also the bikes would definitely be needing a proper wash!

A Taco stop…Moroccan Tacos are quite different to Mexican Tacos, but tasty none the less and this place became a favourite during our stay…that and tagines for dinner, and msemin for breakfast!

Day 3: Sunshine & Stunning Trails

With the sun back and trails dry, we were ready for another ride, which was much more successful. The forecast was for the more usual Moroccan winter sunshine, and we had all managed not to drink too much the previous night...a good start! Jack led the way and it was just awesome riding. One of the first real challenges was a steepish, bumpy downhill to a riverbed right down in the valley. Also having got down, we'd then need to get up the other side.

A quick breather before heading off down another fabulous dirt track.

Kelvin waiting for me to get my arse in to gear (or maybe that should be getting my head in gear) to make it down the rocky valley to the river bed.  

My brain was having a bit of a moment, and couldn't deal with the drop over the edge of the road down the loose bank, despite multiple self pep-talks. Everyone else got down relatively quickly, but with the brain in hesitation mode I killed the engine, put it in gear and clutched the bike down the first bit before getting back on. The rest of the trail down to the river bed was definitely a good challenge, and I part rode, part clutched the rest of the way down. It was then a short ride along the rocky river bed, which was great fun! Also, not being downhill (I have a mental block with some downhills as those that know me will likely know), meant I was much more willing to give it a go and it went well. Whoop whoop! Faith in self restored.

The rocky river bed that was a lot more fun to ride, and no downhill to cause brain block, ha ha!!  

Helen making her way up out of the River bed on her small but mighty Serrow!  

Suzie’s turn…made it!  

Then the next challenge...get up the hillside which looked like it was a steep uphill followed by a stepped bank. I got up out of the river bed quite well then started climbing the hill. The bike was more than capable, but a short hesitation on my part meant I stalled it on a rather steep bit, so me and the poor bike ended up on the floor. The bike didn't seem too bothered though and amazingly I managed to pick it up. Kelvin came down to help and got it up to the final bit, which he rode for me. Saying that he did manage to fall downhill off the bike into a cactus that pricked his arse in many places, but he got there in the end, ha ha!

Jack pointing to where we started at the top of the other side of the valley! Made it with some team work!

We continued on, and the scenery continued to deliver, as did the trails. The views over the hills to the ocean were truly immense, and making our way through many small Moroccan villages was just really interesting and eye-opening. The people were inherently friendly, and some kids waved at us enthusiastically. No-one that I waved at failed to wave back, many wearing big smiles. It was heart-warming.

A stop at ‘Café Tizi’ for some Moroccan omelette, which despite not looking like a traditional English omelette, was utterly delicious and surpassed our omelette expectations!

Our Moroccan Omelette! Mmmmmmmm!

Another quick breather and conferring on which way to go

At the end of a truly epic day, we headed back to the house via another river bed. Unfortunately my back wheel span out on a wet rock and the bike deposited me in some very smelly water...fun! I stank!!! Thankfully no injuries sustained. Yey!

I was tired, but good tired, and raring to go again tomorrow. Unfortunately Jonny was feeling rough that night, and despite managing a lovely Tagine all together, he was going to have to call it quits the next day.

Jonny and Suzie atop a mountain

Helen and Kelvin…what an epic view over the coastline!

The four wanderers loving the fabulous viewpoint

Tagine time! Bloody lush!

Day 4: Sand Dunes & Surfboards

Down to four riders, we loaded Jack’s van with bikes, surfboards, and gear, then headed south to Tifnit Sand Dunes. After unloading the van we headed off along the sand, which was quite hard packed to begin with, so good to get in to it a bit before hitting the softer stuff. Also, due to Jonny not riding, Helen was able to ride the KTM 450 instead of the Yamaha Serrow, which would have likely struggled in the sand. Despite being a bit on the tall side, it didn't seem to matter as she was off!

Jack, Helen and Kelvin atop a sand dune…apparently a little tricky terrain up there…I didn’t go up to sample it, ha ha!

Kelvin loving the dune riding!

Jack showing us all how it’s done on his KTM 500

Helen and Jack having a few mins chill time on the beach before hitting the dunes again!

We rode on the beach and then up in to the softer dunes, which was definitely more of a challenge, but actually really good fun. Once you get going (in 2nd gear), so long as you keep the power on, the bike just gently squirrels its way through. The only thing you have to watch out for is coming up one side of a dune and then finding a steep drop off on the other side! There was one dune that was overlooking the sea with a steepish downhill, and after everyone else had gone over, I had a bit of a brain block..."computer says no!" doh! For the life of me I couldn't make myself drop over the edge, despite much encouragement! Finally, after what seemed like an age and after a bit of a pep talk from Helen, I descended the dune. It was easy, not sure what all the fuss had been about!?! Ha ha!

Just one hell of a dirt bike playground and Kelvin absolutely loving it!

This definitely looks less steep in this photo…maybe?! The dune I was struggling to get my head to descend, ha ha! All was well in the end though, big girl panties firmly pulled up…just took 10 minutes or so, lol!

Helen having met the ‘interesting’ surface on the top of the dune…the hight of the bike definitely had a part to play in its laying down for a rest. Good effort…I didn’t venture up that one (photo not by me obvs, lol!)

Kelvin, Helen, and Jack hanging out on a dune for a sec. Magnificent place!

We continued along the coast line, until we were turned around by some officials as there was an area that they didn't want anyone entering, so we stopped at a nearby cafe for a break instead. Helen told us that the area on the coast had been full of houses, but with just 24 hours notice, the government demolished the lot as they'd been built illegaly, and the little town was floored. The rubble was still there but not much else, other than the cafe we were sat in. Crazy!

Hello Mr Kelvin! You having fun by any chance?!!  

The boys pointing at the invisible ship! Helen wondering what the f**k they’re doing!

Jack getting some air!

We made some friends!

We then headed back to the dunes, had a bit of a play, and then back towards the van. I ran out of fuel, but Jack managed to bring the bike back to life by giving it a big shake up. Essentially the fuel sat in each side but the intake was more central so the fuel needed to be splashed about a bit to get to the right place when running low. I managed to get a good way by shaking the bike side to side every so often. It felt odd when trying to go straight on sand, but I managed a bit, up until the bike wouldn't go any further. There was still fuel visible but my efforts to shake the bike fell short, so I clambered on to Jack's exceedingly tall KTM 500 and he jumped on mine, managing to get it all the way back to the van with much more vigorous shaking up. I passed Kelvin, who'd also run out of fuel, but I had to keep going until I got to the van where Jack was ready to 'catch me', ha ha! Jack then went back to rescue Kelvin.

Chilling at the seaside at Tifnit Beach

Jack pouring in some siphoned fuel in to our dry bikes.  

Helen and one of our new doggy friends…sadly we couldn’t take one home!  

After a bit of time down on the beach, which some rather unsuccessful surfing efforts, we headed back to the house via another supermarket stop to restock the bar and snacks. I got off in town just before the house to get some food for us all, and sat there watching the people of Awrir go about their daily lives.

Day 5: Trails, Teamwork & Tagines

Our final riding day was back on the trails, now down to three riders: me, Kelvin, and Helen. Jack had work to catch up on but had created us a track, so with me leading we headed off, via the petrol station, and back to the track we'd attempted in the wet earlier in the week. Fortunately this time, with the ground having dried out, it was much more successful and enjoyable! I was glad we'd seen the same track in different conditions, and it was amazing just how different it was. We completed the same section in no time and then headed off on many more tracks.

Some more stunning Moroccan countryside

A fun descent!

Technical but fun terrain!

There were a couple of sections that required a bit of a scout out ahead before attempting, and needed a little team work to all get through, but we managed well, and everyone remained rubber side down with big smiles! The scenery was truly magnificent, and as we made good time, Jack sent us an additional track to do on the way back. It was a really great add-on, especially the latter part where suddenly the road became a big ditch! Fortunately we found a way around it on a little goat track, which was great fun and added a little more interesting terrain.

Helen having successfully made it down a rather narrow, rocky descent

Kelvin enjoying the trails

More rocky terrain, and some scouting out to be done to work out which way is best to go.

Fab switchbacks climbing up the side of a mountain!

Then back on the tarmac, we followed the smaller road along the coast to look for a cafe to get a drink in. We went through the VERY touristy and westernised looking Taghazout, followed by Tamraght. Again, a busy, touristy place but with some less crazy busy cafes near the beach to sit in. The food was good, and still relatively cheap, but I was glad to be staying somewhere with a less tourist vibe, obviously knowing we were actually tourists, lol!

Suzie enjoying the ride and getting more used to the Gas Gas 450!

More fabulous trails ahead!

Well, is Kelvin about to launch himself off the edge of a rock and over the huge gap…what do you think eh?!

Suzie got up the bank to take a scenic pic (see next photo)…now, you know how she struggles with descents…how long do you think it took her to get back down? Guesses on a postcard please! Ha ha!

Ah the mountain goat impression was worth the effort! What an incredible view!

It had been a great day of riding, and for us it was the final day of riding, as we got a little carried away with the rum and coke in the evening, so the next day was a chill and pack day, complete with huge group tagine to finish off the holiday on a high! We also had a good chat to two cyclists that had turned up to stay the night. Most of the talk was travel orientated, so I really enjoyed that!

The sun set view from the roof terrace. Aaaah!

Service with a smile…a very friendly and happy Tagine man

A final Tagine meal together with the new arrivals on their bicycles...delicious!

Final Thoughts

So, that was that, before we knew it we were headed back home after seven great days in Morocco. If you've not been, I'd highly recommend it, and if you like to get on a motorbike, it has both great road and off-road options. For the latter I can highly recommend Dirt 'N' Dust Tours as the bikes are fab, well looked after, with top-notch instruction and a chilled vibe. For more info click HERE!

Kelvin with our kit waiting for our taxi on our return home day. Our taxi driver, who’d been very communicative and punctual for the other house dwellers, had unfortunately overslept, which initially caused a little anxiety, but he got there in the end and drove us at some speed to the airport. Great guy!