Moroccan Surf Town Imsouane Continues to be Destroyed

[@spellboundtravels]

Horrible to see how things have changed so quickly for the locals in Imsouane. If you've been before or recently, what did you think?

[@yassineb6563]

First of all, people have no right to build shops or houses on that part of land because it's public land. They never paid any taxes, did whatever they wanted in terms of prices. Secondly, they were warned multiples times months in advance. The 24 h notice was just the final notice before equipment start demolishing. And last but not least, the place is getting busier and more tourists come, at one point you're gonna have to build things right and make space for more tourists and more hotels. That's just how things advance. People have been exploting that land and paying zero taxes for ages. They should be contempt that the government forgot about them all this time. Just saying.

[@spellboundtravels]

Thanks for your perspective! It's interesting because it seems as if a lot of tourists only see the side of the locals being 'kicked out' but after talking to people running legal businesses in the area, they all seem to have the same thoughts as you. I hope Imsouane still keeps it's charm in the coming years because it's one of my fave spots in Morocco!

[@mountainsahbar2448]

Is hun land van voorouder en dat mensen die huizen sloopen zijn niet van oorsprong van land 😢😢😢

[@mountainsahbar2448]

Niet waar land word gestollen van origien bevoken

[@omarboulmarouf1803]

​@spellboundtravels the government is also trying to remove all illegal and slums because of the 2030 world cup 😊

[@Maroerotv3722]

In the Moroccan constitution, the public interest is above the private interest. Unfortunately, these buildings are not licensed and are illegal. I hope that the state will build them again to be better than before!! And for tourists to return to it.

[@spellboundtravels]

As a tourist we don’t know the full story but loved Imsouane before and hope it can get back to a good place soon!

[@Ilyaselho]

@@spellboundtravelsit will be .we are looking to see a more moderate places with better environment.

[@vanesaanula4468]

This is shocking. I was there for first time in 2015 and then 2019. Heading back in 2 weeks and I am thinking to cancel my booking there. Thanks for sharing.

[@spellboundtravels]

I’m not sure it warrants cancelling your trip entirely but it definitely depends on what you’re interested in doing! You could also head a bit further south to Taghazout for a similar vibe 😊

[@MorAcro]

When was this filmed?

[@spellboundtravels]

Jan 25-26th

[@FlowerXmns]

2:20 its not about the tourist or money🤦🏻‍♀️ it's because Morocco has a rule against illegal houses, these houses were there without a permit.

[@chovihano]

Seems to me like a classic case of the underground going overground.

[@breaker-one-nine]

We stayed there just two weeks before it got destroyed. We were in Momo's every day for berber eggs. So sad.

[@spellboundtravels]

@@breaker-one-nine it was such a cool place before they tore everything down!

[@chababannour]

Good work my freind

[@spellboundtravels]

Thank you

[@maltek4945]

Dang. i was thinking of going there next month (booked flights last week) for now i think i am gonna stay in anza. really feel like its not worth to go all the way uo to imsouane anymore.

[@spellboundtravels]

Honestly, I still think it’s worth it just for the beach alone but it can be out of the way sometimes

[@islamisthetruewaytogod6812]

Hello ! May Allah protect and guide you to his light and happiness in this life and the hereafter, God bless, Ameen. Excuse me for giving a little presentation of Islam, because it is very misunderstood nowadays, especially on those « Antichrist's » times, where media and politics are mixed to distort history and truth. Thank you very much for your time. Islam is an arabic word that means the Surrender to the One and Only God, our Creator, Protector, Provider, who gives us life and all that we have, we are safe and sound by his will and grace, we are His and to Him we return, and we have to thank him in this trial life by submitting to him by our free will, or later in the Day of judgment when it's too late to save our own skin. Islam was the original Religion descended to earth from heaven with Adam and Eve (peace and blessing be upon them) in the beginning of humanity. and was passed to people with the succession of the 124 000 prophets and 315 messengers of God to all nations and civilizations since, passing by Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ismaël, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, David, Solomon and Jesus (Peace and blessing be upon them) during the history of mankind, the last replaces and completes the previous, until the succession of the last messenger of God fourteen centuries ago, Muhammad (Peace and blessing be upon him) to complete the noble morals of all mankind, to bring humans and jinns out of darkness into light, and to purify people's religion and belief from corruption and polytheism, and return it to purity and true monotheism, like it was in the times of the prophets (Peace and blessing be upon them). Many Religions that we know nowadays, at their beginning were true and under Islam, initiated by one of the prophets of God, but their original teachings, history and scriptures have been corrupted over time with falsification and polytheism, or lost and replaced with false ones. That's why Islam is the only Religion accepted by God nowadays, which consists in bearing witness that there is no god besides Allah (God in Aramaic, the original language of Jesus and the Gospel), and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, just like Jesus and Moses and others are His servants and messengers. Never a messenger of God said he was God or literally son of God, it was the people after him who changed the words of God and corrupted the Religion. God is unique and absolute, He does not need to have a family and sons or to associate anyone else with His kingdom, He can simply create whatever He wants, everything belongs to Him, and to Him everything will return. Allah said in Surah Al-Mu’minun : “God has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what it has created, and some of them would have gained supremacy over others. Glory be to God, far beyond what they describe. The Knower of the hidden and the manifest. He is exalted, far above what they associate. (91-92 / Translated by ITANI). Allah means the one and only God, the God of all prophets and creatures, the creator of the universe and mankind, and the Master of the Day of judgment, where our destiny, Hell or Paradise, is decided based on our faith and deeds in this trial life, and above all, Allah's mercy. Allah said in Surah Al-Ikhlas : In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful. Say, “He is God, the One. God, the Absolute. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none comparable to Him.” (1-4 / Translated by ITANI). Allah said in Surah An-Nisa : O FOLLOWERS of the Gospel! Do not overstep the bounds [of truth] in your religious beliefs, and do not say of God anything but the truth. The Christ Jesus, son of Mary, was but God's Apostle - [the fulfilment of] His promise which He had conveyed unto Mary - and a soul created by Him. Believe, then, in God and His apostles, and do not say, "[God is] a trinity". Desist [from this assertion] for your own good. God is but One God; utterly remote is He, in His glory, from having a son: unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and none is as worthy of trust as God. Never did the Christ feel too proud to be God's servant, nor do the angels who are near unto Him. And those who feel too proud to serve Him and glory in their arrogance [should know that on Judgment Day] He will gather them all unto Himself: (171-172 / Translated by Muhammad Asad). Allah the Most Merciful said in Surah Ali-Imran : Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man's] self-surrender unto Him; and those who were vouchsafed revelation aforetime took, out of mutual jealousy, to divergent views [on this point] only after knowledge [thereof] had come unto them. But as for him who denies the truth of God's messages - behold, God is swift in reckoning! Thus, [O Prophet,] if they argue with thee, say, "I have surrendered my whole being unto God, and [so have] all who follow me!" - and ask those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime, as well as all unlettered people, "Have you [too] surrendered yourselves unto Him?" And if they surrender themselves unto Him, they are on the right path; but if they turn away - behold, thy duty is no more than to deliver the message: for God sees all that is in [the hearts of] His creatures. Verily, as for those who deny the truth of God's messages, and slay the prophets against all right, and slay people who enjoin equity - announce unto them a grievous chastisement. It is they whose works shall come to nought both in this world and in the life to come; and they shall have none to succour them. (19-22 / Translated by Muhammad Asad).. God said : Say, “We believe in Allah, and in what was revealed to us, and in what was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and in what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them. And to Him, we surrender.” (2:136 / Translated by Community) Salam (Peace) --------------------

[@GGG-zo9ld]

The Best is yet to come.. That's why I am leaving UK for the south of Morocco.

[@spellboundtravels]

The south of Morocco is stunning!

[@B-vg6qh]

The irony of a “digital nomad” who plasters videos of uniquely charming places all over the world for their own validation and attention, then is saddened when they become so overblown and eventually torn down is just too much.

[@ftitichbilal2699]

My favourite spot 🌊🏄‍♂️ so sad 😢

[@spellboundtravels]

It’s still a beautiful place and I think it’ll be great again soon but just in a different way!

[@Disgustingmondays]

In a nutshell, the local shops and colorful houses that were wiped out believe they are entitled to the land just because they lived for too long there, however it doesn't work this way in the Moroccan constitution, I was heart broken to see the beautiful colorful houses go because i made tons of memories there as a backpacker myself, but once you think of it with your brain and not let your emotions control how you judge the whole situation, you come to realize that it was the right thing to do, it's a necessary evil, it had to be done at some point After the awful earthquake too many people died and couldn't be found under the rubble because their houses built by hand careless about the nature of the land etc, and eventually it resulted an awful amount of deaths Imsounae is a very touristic place it often seems to have more foreigners than local people, thus, the government definitely doesn't wanna risk the lives of people who come to enjoy their time there

[@GGG-zo9ld]

People have abused the area . Now it's time to correct the Mistake. Visit the council and see how nice projects are to be done. Today there's a new Morocco.

[@spellboundtravels]

I guess we'll see in a few years how things have changed!

[@houssamzak]

You're gullible.... They are destroying the bohemian soul that made Morocco special in order to build large hotel complexes.... Do you frankly believe Moroccan decision makers? Don't be a fool

[@rachidguemanou522]

It is indded illegal to build on maritime space. The government is taking the right steps to free all maritime land. The goal is for everyone to enjoy the space. I feel sorry for all the ppl who had their livelhood taking away with a short notice. But, i feel that they should know better. Whats not yours can be taking away anytime.

[@spellboundtravels]

Definitely see your point here!

[@peekaboo7958]

I think you have to respect the poor countries laws, the poor countries have the right to have laws too like yours, i'm sure you'll be mad if people start to build illegal houses on your favorite beach, anyways what really happened is after the earthquake the authorities start removing the illegal buildings because they built them without any safety conditions, for me i think it's unfair for 100 people to take over what own by 40 million people, it was a public place for all the 40 million moroccan and nobody have the right to steal it and make money from it, thank youuuuu for visiting morocco guys and we are sorry for what is going on i hope you guys understand.

[@spellboundtravels]

Thanks for the info! We spoke to a few locals but it’s good to get more insight from others about the situation

[@houssamzak]

Dude it's not about laws, they are destroying what made Morocco special and unique in order build big soulless hotel compounds

[@houssamzak]

Really stupid comment, it will be taken by a few billionaire friends of Akhanouch.... Better leave it to 200 people who made the place special and unique, you clearly do not understand Moroccan politics nor have you been in the dull, tasteless hotel complexes in Mexico and Cuba

[@spellboundtravels]

@@houssamzak I definitely agree that it will change the entire vibe of the place which is sad! I guess we’ll see how it develops in the next few years

[@peekaboo7958]

@@houssamzak I understand your anger and that you used to make thousands of dirhams from there for free, but you have to understand that we are not in zriba anymore, you gotta follow the laws brother, maybe you think it was better because you get rich from it, but for the rest of moroccans its unfair, and btw if you dont know hotels pays taxes. ps: ik that place was so beautiful and i feel sad about the whole situation but as i said it was sooo illegal.

[@wesleyclark2844]

I'm a Moroccan living in Italy and i have to say that destroying this place is a stupid idea, because this place was an important place for surfers, and had a unique vibe, now, we all agree that it was built illegally,but like i said before, it had a cultural and artistic importance, and here in Italy there are a lot of places built illegaly but that are important, to resolve this problem the government in Italy give a "sanatoria" that is basically a way to eliminate the sanctions and/or demolition of a building or a group of buildings for cultural or historical reasons. This is not the first place that was demolished, also another place in Casablanca that was famous for "witchcraft" was erased from the map. In only hope that morocco dont become like Dubai, a modern and "futuristic" place without a history. (Sorry for my bad English)

[@spellboundtravels]

Interesting take! I agree that it was such a unique spot and it’s sad when things are changed. I loved Imsouane and I hope it’s still going to remain a great place to visit in the future

[@mountainsahbar2448]

Dat mensen die daar wonen voor dat regels bestaan heben meer recht oo hun voorouders land dan dat dieven die hun land stel😢len

[@bipl8989]

The waves are still there. Building on the beach is illegal in the EU too. Beaches are a public resource, not for private consumption.

[@james1945]

We want beautiful city in morocco

[@karimsanchez3213]

A very good friend does not like Casablanca , he and his wife are leaving Casablanca and plan to move to Southern Morocco. They love it there

[@spellboundtravels]

Southern Morocco is beautiful!

[@simomimo-t4u]

I don't think there's anything nefarious going on here, that space is way too small to build resorts. The government is currently tearing down illegally constructed buildings on public beach land all over the country, which is a good thing overall. Perhaps they should've spent more time to see if some of these areas are worth preserving over architectural or cultural grounds, there's definitely an argument to be made that those parts of Taghazout may have such value, but I'd be wary of the fetishization of poverty and squalor that some Western tourists unknowingly fall into. Modernization and preservation of heritage shouldn't be mutually exclusive.

[@spellboundtravels]

I agree! Just figured I’d check it out while we were in the area, talk to some locals and see what they thought about it

[@soniaso4678]

💔

[@madal55]

Morocco. Permanently under construction, non existent sewerage, 3rd world with modern aspirations but no finance, minimal controls. Ruled by a king. Those places where there illegally, for a long time.

[@yelram30500]

a shame to have destroyed the beautiful cabins and local businesses. The same land will be sold to large hotel groups who will make a lot of money while the original population is put on the street! it is unworthy of a civilized country

[@spellboundtravels]

It is a shame to have big corporations step in when locals could benefit for sure!

[@rihamsbai9220]

💔💔💔😭😭😭😭

[@Samira-du2bv]

😢😢😢

[@del-ext8207]

They’re trying to make it better

[@spellboundtravels]

I guess we’ll see what happens!

[@mostafahilali6057]

Sad

[@ahmedkaram5946]

Sad the want shit expansive hotels. poor people got deysyord

[@edwinagolombek3253]

Morocco is all about money..life is cheap here, the laws are enforced only where there is money to be made...not where they might save lives..I have lived here for 22 years and am now at long last selling and going...

[@fatnatemmar8874]

Quel spécialiste baraquement face la mer c’est moche j’adore les chiens 🐕

[@DR-bu1sr]

"digital nomads" are what ruined the place ironically ... LOL too many yogi bros

[@businesshop-z5l]

Its ilegal construction

[@isifis]

Fini les touristes sandwich .

[@jabali6423]

Do not talk about things you do not know nor understand

[@spellboundtravels]

I do know and understand. I was there and spoke to multiple locals about the situation!

[@jan-dawa]

Get a job

[@spellboundtravels]

I have one! Thanks for your concern

[@declanmurphy6427]

These digital nomads(WANKERS) have no valid comment without knowing the background to the story.