Think of Morocco and it is often defined by the energy of Marrakech’s souks, but as our Spa of the Month – La Sultana Oualidia – shows, there are plenty of opportunities for indulgent wellness retreats if you head to the coast instead.
Morocco is one of my favourite places in the world. I’ve widely explored the chaotic and vibrant city of Marrakech and the dusty dunes of the Agafay desert but never the calmness of the country’s coast. Until now. La Sultana Oualidia sits within the small fishing village of Oualidia, overlooking a serene salt water lagoon on the Atlantic coast and is the country’s answer to a deeply relaxing, off-grid alternative.
Opened in 2007, this luxury boutique hotel is a private fortress surrounded by jacaranda trees, sandy-stone terraces and orange-flowered balconies. A must-visit for those wanting to experience some of the best wellness traditions that Morocco has to offer.
The Lowdown
The two-and-a-half hour transfer from Marrakech airport takes you through the sprawling desert. The journey however feels fast, in the hotel’s air-conditioned car that is complete with on-board wifi, bottles of virgin mojitos and bags of sugar-dusted Moroccan pastries. Upon check-in, I was warmly welcomed in true local tradition with refreshing bowls of iced almond milk and sticky dates stuffed with walnuts.
A sense of peacefulness hit me instantly as I explored the grounds, meandering down leafy trails that are lined with fan-shaped palm trees to the resort’s oceanfront. This is a showstopper view, where a hand-built wooden jetty stretches out across a 12-kilometre oyster-filled lagoon. Here, hand-painted boats lap against the tide, colourful birds stand one-legged in the soft salty breeze and locals gather fresh samphire from the water’s edge under the hazy sun.
The lush gardens sprawl around the main hotel, guiding you towards a 45-metre long private infinity pool with plush white loungers that offer a 180 degree view of the lagoon. After your bags have been whisked away, this is the spot to indulge in a welcome cocktail, submerged within one of the five seawater Jacuzzis while listening to the tropical bird song.
The Spa
The Sultana Spa is cathedral-inspired in shape and built completely of honey-toned stone. With stained glass windows letting in soft-coloured light and Moroccan art coating the walls, the spa has a warm and welcoming feel that instantly relaxes you as if you were coming home.
Whatever form of relaxation you prefer, this spa has it, complete with a deep indoor pool, frothy Jacuzzi, multiple relaxation nooks, two hammams, a sauna and a premium fitness room. The high vaulted ceilings mean the water is naturally warmed by sunlight.
As the spa is exclusive to guests staying within the 12 hotel rooms, it’s never crowded and, during my stay, I almost always had it all to myself. The experience begins before you even enter the serene space: I was first led to a low rattan chair to have my feet bathed and scrubbed before entering. While unwinding in a cosy corner lit by ornate Moroccan lamps, I was handed a spa menu to gaze over, sipping on a fragrant mint tea.
The spa therapists at La Sultana perform a selection of Moroccan-inspired treatments inside secluded cave-like rooms. You can choose from candle massages, where luxurious oils are dripped onto your body to deeply moisturise your skin and release tension. The cinnamon body scrub uses the spice to naturally exfoliate away dead skin cells, while the moisturising full-body wrap uses organic cream to intensely soothe and heal dry skin. All treatments use nourishing Moroccan essential oils and organic plants, bottled up by the brand Nectarome.
Above all, I recommend the traditional Moroccan hammam. A ceremonial cleansing routine that has been practised for centuries, preaching that bathing is considered a calming ritual, not a rushed necessity. I was taken into a humid marble chamber for a full-body wash and exfoliation using a black olive and eucalyptus scrub, which tingles in the best way possible. The ritual continues with layers of shea butter cream and a green tea mask to coat your hair, then you’re left to marinate amongst the steam, before a final wash and argan oil massage completes the perfect purification treatment.
The Rooms
With just 12 beautiful boutique rooms, each has been individually designed using natural materials from local artisans, as part of the hotel’s commitment to support the local Oualidia community. Clay tiled floors sprawled across my suite to an in-room fireplace and sweeping miniature stone staircase that led up to a little balcony for two. The bed was engulfed with silky white curtains to draw at night, whilst a glistening chandelier hung over a carved wooden writing desk and a vintage trunk served as a coffee table, housing fresh fruits and chocolate macarons, all handmade by the hotel’s pastry chef.
Each room and suite has its own private terrace with seawater Jacuzzi overlooking the lagoon, making it hard to ever leave. However, I found that it was the in-room touches that made my stay so personal and luxurious. With a leather-cased iPhone allowing you to contact your personal butler day or night, Dyson hairdryers wrapped neatly under the marble bathroom sinks, and amenities by Moroccan-born brand Botanika, everything you could need to pamper yourself is at your fingertips.
Each morning I was woken gently by my own doorbell – that was in fact bird song. Daily breakfast orders (mine was tea and a pastry) are delivered and placed into a wooden tea cupboard that sits outside your room. The best place to enjoy them is on the terrace, while reviewing a printed pamphlet detailing the tides at sea, signalling the best time to surf and swim.
The Dining
Farm and sea-to-table dining is shown off with pride at La Sultana, with wonderful seafood being a central part of your stay. Oualidia is known as Morocco’s ‘Oyster Capital’ having farmed them since the 1950s. Today, baby oysters are brought over from France, submerged into protected areas of the lagoon and rotated every six months; the unique ecosystem of the lagoon provides the perfect conditions for the oysters to thrive. Guests are invited to tour the oyster farm before tasting a house speciality, the Pied de Cheval Oyster at the hotel’s O Bar with crisp Moroccan wine pairings.
When the sun hangs high and it’s time for lunch, make your way to La Table de La Plage. Open to guests and non-residents on the sandy beach decking, this is where you can try the best seafood from the lagoon and the sea beyond. Don’t miss the spider crab which is served simply, yet oh-so-deliciously with fresh lemon and a dipping aioli. Launched in May 2025, Jan Janz is the hotel’s new dinner venture – and the first of its kind in the region. With their Filipino head chef offering a refined fusion of Far Eastern and rich Moroccan flavours and an emphasis on healthy, nourishing dishes. I indulged in fresh prawn Pad Thai, spicy wok-fried lobster noodles and delicately glazed sushi rolls.
La Sultana also goes the extra culinary mile with a memorable dinner that can be served under the stars in a Berber Tent right on the beach, or a beach picnic where your private chef will cook up fresh-fire sardines right in front of you in the sand.
The Little Extras
My stay was made just that little bit sweeter by knowing the level of eco-effort that the hotel puts back into its land and community. With the lagoon being a ‘protected site of great ecological importance’, guests can join a hosted clean up to help protect the lagoon and keep it thriving. There is a bird sanctuary buried within the hotel’s leafy gardens too, to help save and rehabilitate injured birds from around Oualidia town.
This neighbours the conservation greenhouse where 22 species of palm tree are grown from palm pups to fully grown trees and sent to Oualidia’s sister hotel La Sultana Marrakesh. In the kitchen, I also dabbled in mastering the art of cooking traditional Moroccan tagine, where lamb laced with bold spices was joined by fresh vegetables straight from the hotel’s own organic garden and left to steam under classic North African terracotta pots.
What To Do
This intimate hotel may be boutique in size but the activities are endless. I found myself wiggling excitedly into a cosy wetsuit to take surf therapy lessons in the shallow mouth of the lagoon (even the King of Morocco’s children come to Oualidia to surf). Early the next morning I took a yoga class, deeply stretched out on the grassy banks of the lagoon before washing this all down with a vibrant green juice served in a frosty glass.
Guests can embark on a bird safari to spot Oualidia’s famous pink flamingos (in spring and autumn) and on a Wednesday, lazily wander the local market to buy seasonal fruits, spices, homemade pottery and furniture. Other activities include stand-up paddle boarding, beach volleyball, windsurfing, kayaking and paddle court lessons. All enjoyed under the hot Moroccan sun countered by the lagoon’s fresh breeze.
Lead image credit: La Sultana Oualidia
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