Holidays in Agadir - our top 12 tips

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Holidays in Agadir, Morocco? We recently returned from a few days in this Moroccan holiday city and are full of impressions. Morocco offers vibrant markets, Arabic culture and bright colours. At the same time, Agadir shows a different, cooler side with whitewashed houses, palm-fringed beaches and manicured golf courses. We've put together our top 12 tips for things to see and do in Agadir.

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Holidays in Agadir in Morocco

Agadir is a coastal city on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Morocco. The city was destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1960, killing around 15 000 people. When the city was rebuilt, a less vulnerable area was chosen, while at the same time planning for tourism.

Today, many people come here to enjoy sun and sea, Moroccan food and various activities and excursions. Here are our 12 top tips for things to see and do in Agadir.

1. Enjoy the beach

When you are on holiday in Agadir, you will of course want to enjoy beautiful beaches. The most famous sandy beach in Agadir is called Plage d'Agadir and is nine kilometres long. The beach is lined with a long promenade, as well as several nice hotels and restaurants, and you can also see dromedaries here.

2. Visit the market

When you're on holiday in Agadir, don't miss the Souk El Had market. This market is enormous and here you will find just everything. It doesn't matter if you are looking for food, kitchenware, hygiene items, antiques, crafts, clothes or furniture. You can be sure to find it here. Just don't forget to bargain!

In the market you can also see the traditional Moroccan 'watermen' walking around ringing their bells. Today, they probably make more money from being photographed in exchange for a few coins than from delivering water, but according to our guides, they still do this too.

3. Buy argan oil

One of the products Moroccans are most proud of is the fine argan oil, which is made from argan fruit. Used both as cooking oil and for various beauty products, the oil is relatively expensive because it is made by hand in a process that requires many hours of labour for each decilitre of oil.

Argan oil can be bought in markets, shops and from the women's cooperatives that produce the product, such as the Tamaynoute Women Agricultural Cooperative. If you're shopping at the market, make sure you're getting the real thing - it's not uncommon for sellers to mix exclusive oil with cheaper oil. Here are two tips for checking that the oil is genuine:

1. Check that the shop has a certificate stating that they sell genuine argan oil, or ask for it. You can also look at the jars, where there should be a small authenticity mark.
2. Rub some argan oil on your skin. Genuine argan oil should be absorbed relatively quickly by the skin, and not get sticky on your clothes.

4. Strolling in the harbour

Agadir's leisure harbour is beautiful with its white houses and many boats. You see both fishing boats and tourist boats, and if you want, you can, for example, take a sunset tour with a 'pirate ship'. There are also several small restaurants, where you can, for example, enjoy a lunch overlooking the harbour.

5. Touring the Old Kasbah

Perhaps the only real attraction in Agadir is the Old Kasbah, or Agadir Oufella as it is also called. The fort was built in 1572 by Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib, but unfortunately much of it was destroyed in the 1960 earthquake. Today, not much remains other than a long wall, but if you don't find it exciting, you can choose to go up here for the view.

Don't forget to load up on patience for the encounter with all the people who try to make a little money by guiding you (even though you didn't ask for it), selling plastic camels and jewellery or maybe letting you take a photo with their snake or dromedary.

6. eat Moroccan food

When you're in Morocco, you should of course take the opportunity to eat the delicious Moroccan food. The traditional food consists, in simple terms, of two main dishes: tagine and couscous. Tagine is a clay pot that can contain, for example, chicken, lamb or fresh fish, often with some kind of vegetables and perhaps potatoes.

For starters, you can have a salad or vegetable stir-fry, preferably with a good Moroccan bread. Sometimes that good bread is also served with oil, honey or nut cream for dipping. Soooo good! And then there is the Moroccan sweet tea, which you should of course try.

7. eat oranges

Morocco is the land of oranges. You can see orange groves and orange farms here and there, with oranges crowding the trees. It is very common to serve sliced oranges as a dessert and we must say that the oranges in Morocco are fantastically tasty and juicy!

8. Look for goats in trees

Never seen goats in trees before? Then it's time to look for them when you're in Morocco! We spotted them while driving outside Agadir and stopped to look and take photos. Isn't it amazing that goats can climb like this? We have heard that the goats mainly climb trees in the morning. Perhaps it would be appropriate to give a small coin to the goat keeper as a thank you for allowing you to photograph his goats.

9. See crocodiles in Crocopark

We are always a little hesitant about zoos, but we were pleasantly surprised by Crocopark, located just outside Agadir. It is of course difficult to judge what is good for the animals, but the park is nice and well maintained and the crocodiles move in relatively large areas. There are also fine botanical gardens, with exotic plants from all over the world.

10. Take an excursion to Taroudant

To be honest, Agadir is a nice and pleasant holiday town, but it doesn't really feel like 'the real Morocco'. If you're spending a week here, we highly recommend a visit to Agadir. Taroudant. A 1.5-hour drive from Agadir, this city feels like a mini-Marrakech with its mighty city walls and intense market.

11. Live in luxury by the sea

Maybe you want to take the opportunity to live in luxury while on holiday in Agadir? We had an evening dinner at the hotel Atlantic Palaceand we wouldn't have minded staying here! This is a beautiful hotel, with amazingly ornate ceilings, nice pools and also close to the beach. The restaurant, which is funnily enough called Taj Mahal even though the menu is Moroccan, also serves a really good and well-prepared buffet.

We ourselves stayed in a hotel Hyatt Place in Taghazout Bay. This is also a luxurious and fine beachfront hotel, but as it is a good distance from the centre of Agadir, it is best suited to those who want a quiet, secluded holiday, perhaps with golf.

12. Live idyllically in the mountains

You usually think that you want to live by the sea, but after seeing the Atlas Kasbah In the mountains outside Agadir, we started to rethink this idea. Atlas Kasbah is an eco lodge where you can enjoy the tranquillity and nature, along with organic Moroccan food. If you want, there are also activities such as horse riding, yoga, pottery making and stargazing.

When we arrived, we met a Swedish girl called Hanna and her boyfriend. They had spent a few days at Atlas Kasbah and were excited about this place, and we understand them. We would love to hang out here for a few days!

A film about Agadir in Morocco

Nowadays we (Peter!) also make films when we are travelling, as a complement. Enjoy!

Travelling here?

We flew with AirArabia, which relatively recently started a direct route from Stockholm to Agadir. The flight took just under five hours and went quite smoothly. We were satisfied with both the food and the service, and in addition, the flight offered an almost exotic experience. Not all flights are alcohol-free and begin with a prayer in Arabic on the TV screens ...

To Morocco by campervan

Another way to travel to Agadir is, of course, by motorhome. We saw a lot of motorhomes on site, and also took the opportunity to make a small visit to the campsite. Atlantica Parc (Imourane), which is nicely situated on the waterfront just north of Agadir.

We must say that the campsite looked very nice, with large, well-defined pitches for motorhomes and many cabins. The owner also told us that they have another even bigger campsite (Imi Ouaddar), but we didn't have time to check it out. Once on site, you can choose to get around with the camper, or take the bus for visits to neighbouring places.

See even more of Morocco?

Want to see even more of the country during your trip to Morocco? We can recommend both a visit to the exciting fairytale city of Marrakech and to experience the Sahara desert. Also along the coast is the city of Essaouira, nicknamed The Windy City of Africa. Have you been on holiday in Agadir or elsewhere in Morocco? Tell us about it!

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