The sun is starting to emerge from behind the golden-touched cliffs that peek onto Imsouane, the Moroccan bay that is well known for its right-hand point break and is seeing a rapid and tourism boom in recent years.

Elena has lived here for three years. In March 2025, she created OASEA, a collective for women to take up space on land and water. 

It was 7am when I joined a group of women and boards of different shapes, colours, and lengths scattered over the morning lit sand. 

Tiger, the local dog, bounces from person to person before settling in the centre of the stretching circle. As we stretch together and awaken our muscles, we meet new and familiar women. 

Theresa takes photos from inside and outside the water, popping up next to us as we welcome each other to the morning’s swell. There are cheers, yallas, and gentle tips offered to each other as we navigate the early morning sets. Most of all, it’s a great chat while lying on a surfboard or a recognisable smile from afar as faces from the circle bob above the wave shoulders. 

Photo credit: Theresa Maria (@the.resa.maria) 

What is OASEA? 

Elena started OASEA because, while there are many women in and around Imsouane, she didn’t feel like there was a space for women to come together and to connect. By trialing a surf meet up for women, it became very clear that other women felt the same: women visiting, living or staying in Imsouane were finding it difficult to connect with other women.  

The name OASEA comes from the word oasis – a place of rest, nurture and abundance. Just like an oasis, rising in the heart of a harsh desert, OASEA exists as a nourishing space where women can arrive and quench their thirst for connection, belonging and presence with one other. Sea rests within the name, a gentle nod to its fluidity, reflecting the natural rhythm and softness of female energy, and the life we live by the shore.

OASEA’s events range from surfing (the most popular) to spiritual ceremonies, movement classes, and casual beach walks. The monthly schedule goes up on social media as an invitation for any women drawn to join. 

Photo credit: Theresa Maria (@the.resa.maria) 

Members may be women staying for a few days, some staying for the season, some living permanently in Imsouane: it is a mix of visiting, staying, living and being. Imsouane attracts tourists from all over the world, meaning that OASEA meet ups draw a geographically diverse crowd. Local women also join which, as Elena puts it, is a “beautiful way to connect the people coming from the outside with the women who actually live here.” 

Out in the ocean I met Roxy, who has joined multiple OASEA events, including a cacao ceremony. She described the emotion that flooded the room during this event and how the intensity of feeling created non-verbal connections that cannot be translated over a coffee. A new experience for some. A familiar ground for others.  

Photo credit: Theresa Maria (@the.resa.maria) 

Walking along Cathedral at sunset, waves pummel the cliffs and wind whips through the salt-entwined hair of passersby.¹ Amongst the rawness of the scenery, OASEA creates something softer, a space where the morning’s swell feels less daunting, where smiles are exchanged between familiar faces, where women gather and connect. 

 As Elena says, “when women come together there is something empowering, beautiful and wholesome.” 

That’s what OASEA creates: a space where this can happen. 

The monthly schedule is shared online and via social media as an invitation for any women who find themselves drawn to the event. 

You can join OASEA by messaging them on Instagram or showing up at one of their events. 

All details can be found via their Instagram here: @oasea_ 

There’s also a WhatsApp group for people living in Imsouane. Message the page for details. 

Photo credit: Theresa Maria (@the.resa.maria)