As well as being the name for the popular winter sun destination on the southwestern coast of Morocco, Agadir is also the name of a prefecture. Agadir city is the capital of the Souss-Massa-Draa region of Morocco.
This is a modern city with top class hotels and a more cosmopolitan feel than most other cities in Morocco. That can be attributed in part to Agadir having to be rebuilt after it was razed to the ground in 1960 in an earthquake which shook the city to its foundations.
While some say that Agadir’s main attraction is its impressive beach others appreciate the city as a hub from which to explore the regions through the many Agadir based tours and excursions
The Old Kasbah
The old Kasbah wall and gate still stand, looking down over the beach. It is illuminated at night and on the wall can still be read the legend, “God, Country and The King”, which illustrates the order of importance of things in Morocco. There is nothing here now except the memory of those whose bones are still buried under the rubble of the Agadir earthquake.
Some tourists complain of the old Kasbah that there is ‘nothing to see’. One wonders what they would like to see given the tragic past of the area – replicas of those who died under the falling stones perhaps? But the point of the journey to the old Kasbah is not to dwell in the past but to enjoy the present – - the beautiful view down over the beach and the coastline.
Agadir Beaches:
There are miles of sandy beaches in Agadir. Clean, wide and kissed by a cooling sea breeze, the beach is the city’s main attraction. While lazing on the sand is always an option you could go for something more active like paragliding, horse or camel riding, or various water sports that are offered along the strand.
Just north of Agadir is the fishing village of Taghazout. This is where the surfers hang out and you can get there by jumping on a bus from Agadir.
Markets:
For a those who love shopping a trip to Agadir would not be complete without stopping off at Souk Al Had (Souk Lhed) which is in fact the biggest market in Morocco. You will need hours to truly explore all the nooks and crannies of this enormous place but generally speaking aim to enter by gates 8 to 10 where you’ll find the leather and handicraft goods most sought after by tourists. Remember to haggle and if you are with a guide, haggle even harder as a good cut of the price will be going to him for leading you to the seller in the first place.
Another thing to look out for in the souks and markets is bottles of Argan oil. This ancient Berber beauty secret has just been discovered by modern science and is currently taking the beauty world by storm for its supposed anti-aging properties. Undoubtedly, you will be able to pick up a few bottles of this precious oil for a lot cheaper in Agadir than you would in your hometown after the big beauty houses have put their marketing spin on it.
Al Massira Airport is 13 miles from the centre of Agadir – about a 20 minute drive. You can pick up and drop off hire cars at the airport or take a taxi into town. The fixed prices for taxis are 150 dirham in the daytime, 200 dirham after 7pm.
For the more adventurous (or skint) you can hop on a bus to Inezgane on the outskirts of Agadir for 4 dirhams and then pick up a bus from there to Agadir centre for 3 dirhams or jump int a share-taxi for about 3 or 4 dirhams.
Photocredits:
Thanks to C.Hug |
