Beach-ready and already relaxed, we headed west on a three-hour drive to Essaouira, the nearest coastal town to Marrakech, where we lunched at OceanVagabond, a laidback surfers' hangout.
Ritoque Raices is nestled among the foliage with commanding views of the beautiful beach, popular with local surfers.
Today's visitors are mainly golfers heading for the renowned Machrihanish links course, surfers and walkers.
It is the second unsuccessful attempt by bikies to defeat criminal organisation laws in Queensland in the high court, after a challenge by the now defunct Finks Surfers Paradise chapter to previous laws last year.
In quotes from the books: The setting sun burned the sky pink and orange in the same bright hues as surfers' bathing suits.
020-8827 1971, homeaway.co.uk/France/holiday-villa-Charente-Maritime Good for surfers and sailors Sleeps 6 Cost from €600 a week This bleached, wood-clad, grey-and-white bolthole is just feet from the sands of Plage des Sables Blanc, north of Concarneau, with a south-west-facing beach terrace that's a great suntrap.
Activities Llangennith has drawn generations of surfers, canoeists and now kite-surfers (check out the live surfcam at llangennithsurf.com).
Our guide and instructor, Nathan Folkes, who heads up Mojosurf, keeps track of our progress and of lurking ocean dangers – big swell, or other surfers.
Walkers come to admire the views from the Fisherman's Way, surfers to ride the best waves in Europe, but day after day we had spectacular beaches to ourselves.
There's a vibrant feel to the place with a busy shop, a fair smattering of surfers and canoeists, plus local day-trippers from the Swansea and Llanelli areas.
Byron Bay is a hot spot for surfers lured by the promise of this ocean high; of waves that ripple slowly and perfectly for long stretches to the shore.
