Scubamar

Al Hoceima, Morocco

Scubamar in Al Hoceima feels like finding a quiet cove after a long journey. The team here are exactly what we look for: knowledgeable, unpretentious, and genuinely enthusiastic about showing off their local waters. We’ve always appreciated a dive shop that gets the fundamentals right, and Scubamar does just that, making it a great choice for divers working on their PADI certifications, from Open Water right through to instructor level. Our favourite dives with Scubamar often involve the rocky reefs just offshore, where the light plays beautifully through kelp forests, creating these shifting patterns on the sandy bottom. You can expect to see octopus tucked into crevices, some surprisingly large groupers patrolling the deeper ledges, and schools of damselfish flitting among the gorgonians. If you go out first thing in the morning, the water often has this glassy calm, and you can hear the boat engine echoing as you descend. We’d suggest chatting with them about hitting some of the lesser-known spots; they’re usually happy to oblige if conditions allow, and you might just stumble upon a moray eel peeking out from a pottery shard, relics of a long-lost fishing boat.