15 best things to do in Agadir

15 best things to do in Agadir

15 best things to do in Agadir: Where the western range of the High Atlas Mountains flows into the Atlantic, Agadir is a port and beach resort with year-round sunshine.
Even in January, temperatures peak above 20°C, bringing Europeans in search of warmth and sunshine.
Agadir is Morocco‘s favorite getaway, and its long sandy bay is surrounded by an endless promenade and a continuous row of hotels and restaurants.

Always in sight along the beach is a 300-meter mountain crowned with the remains of the ancient citadel of Agadir (Oufella). The resort is constantly developing and new attractions, such as a Ferris wheel, a marina and a modern zoo for crocodiles, have sprung up in Agadir in recent years.

Now let’s investigate the top activities in Agadir:

Souk El Had

Agadir’s central market is on a jaw-dropping scale, covering more than 13 hectares and employing 10,000 people, making it one of the largest in Morocco.
It was built as a fortress after the city’s destructive earthquake in 1960 and has been updated over the last two decades with a new roof and floor.

Souk El Had is open every day except Mondays, and its name comes from the Arabic word for Sunday (Ahad), harking back to the time when it was just a one-day market.

Come prepared to bargain, which can be an arduous process, and you can hunt for fresh produce, olives, spices, honey, dates, fabrics, leather goods, furniture, cedar-carved items, clay tagines, Moroccan teapots, argan oil and much more than we could list here.
Souk El Had would be thriving even without tourists, as you’ll discover in the revealing livestock section, where chickens are bought and slaughtered on site.

Agadir Beach

Agadir’s wide sandy beach stretches away from the Agadir marina and is accompanied by a promenade (corniche) for five kilometers. Being on the Atlantic, the water can be cold and the waves high, and there are a handful of surf schools for beginners.

For parents with younger children and inexperienced swimmers, Agadir Beach is shallow and the waves break far out, so there’s less danger of anyone running into difficulties.
This beach is one of the resort’s biggest selling points, so it is patrolled by the police and cleaned regularly, but as the northern end is close to the town’s commercial and fishing ports, you may prefer to walk further south to swim.

15 best things to do in Agadir: Agadir Oufella:

The ruins of Agadir’s citadel or kasbah, dating from 1572, are hoisted high above the ocean on the steep slopes of a 300-meter hill.
On the shrub-covered hillside for all to see are the words “God, Country, King” in Arabic and illuminated at night.

At the top, little except the restored outer walls are still standing after a violent earthquake devastated the city in 1960. Many people still make the journey to the top by bus or on foot, and there are many street vendors, snake charmers and vendors offering camel rides at the top.
The view from the foot of the walls to the Bay of Agadir is fascinating.

Museum of Amazigh Culture:

In this small but well-presented municipal museum, you’ll discover the Berber traditions and crafts of the Soussa-Massa region….
The Amazigh Culture Museum is located on the Aït Souss Passage, a pedestrianized street that connects to the arterial Avenue Mohammed V.

On display are Berber architectural elements, examples of carving, boucherouite carpets, historical manuscripts and ceramics.
Most exquisite is the silverwork of the bracelets, brooches and implausibly complex necklaces and earrings in the jewelry collection.
You can also see the tools used by these craftsmen, and there are always temporary exhibitions, often showing contemporary Berber crafts.

Corniche La Côte:

This impeccable paved promenade follows the beach for all of five kilometers to the Royal Palace at the mouth of the River Souss.
There is life all along the Corniche La Côte, in an endless chain of hotels, spas, nightclubs, restaurants, fast food chains, cafés, ice cream parlors and surf schools.

On the beach side, the promenade has a winding wall that curves in and out a few meters above the beach.
You can stop under a palm tree to watch the sunset and look north to the faint cranes of the commercial port and the indomitable bulk of the Oufella and its Arabic inscription.
Things can get a bit frantic at the end of the day, which is prime time for quiet family outings.

Vallée des Oiseaux:

Just beyond the Corniche, in the narrow course of a dry riverbed, lies a small botanical garden and animal attraction.
Free to enter, Vallée des Oiseaux is a useful alternative to the beach for families with young children.

The headline here is the aviary and enclosures for parrots, ibis, flamingos, peacocks and all kinds of other bird species from as far away as Asia and South America.
Vallée des Oiseaux also maintains small herds of Berber goats and sheep.
Planted along the walkway are banana trees, magnolias, bougainvillea and oleanders, and there’s a small ornamental waterfall to soothe the strong summer heat.

15 best things to do in Agadir: Crocoparc:

In 2015, a zoo dedicated solely to Nile crocodiles opened its doors on Agadir’s outskirts. Crocoparc keeps more than 300 of this species in water-rich habitats in a closed system of three basins fed from the top by a waterfall.
You can safely observe the crocodiles from elevated platforms and up close via a unique glass box built into the ground in one of the enclosures.

Nile crocodiles are known to grow to over five meters in length, but they have disappeared from Morocco since 1960.
In 2016, Crocoparc opened a laboratory and nursery, where you can have the chance to watch a baby crocodile hatch.
The attraction is also set in a four-hectare botanical garden, where succulents, water lilies, cacti, two ombú and a 50-year-old ficus grow among more than 300 species.

La Grande Roue d’Agadir:

Walking along the Corniche, you’re sure to see this 50-meter Ferris wheel, which was inaugurated just after the Crocoparc in 2015. La Grande Roue d’Agadir is billed as the first of its kind in Africa, with 27 gondolas seating six people each.

In order to maintain the stability of the gondolas during Atlantic gusts, this ride is equipped with wind sensors and computer control.
The wheel usually makes five turns, offering privileged views of Oufella, the Medina, the marina and the Atlantic.
Obviously, sunset is the ideal time to ride.

Agadir Marina:

Another brand-new development, the marina is a luxurious buffer between the fishing port and the beach, at the western end of the Corniche.
You’ll find palm-fringed quays and whitewashed Moorish-style apartment blocks surrounding a rectangular harbor, protected to the south from the Atlantic by a long mole.

The whole ensemble is worthy of a photo looking at the Oufella from the east.
Brands such as Lacoste, Zara, Stadivarius and MAC Cosmetics share the quayside with cafés, ice cream parlors and an international variety of restaurants, from Thai to Tacos.

15 best things to do in Agadir: Memoire d’Agadir:

The pace of change in Agadir has been dizzying, so this museum at the eastern end of the Jardin d’Olhão will offer a little context about the city.
The exhibition shows the complete devastation caused by the earthquake of February 29, 1960, which almost destroyed Agadir.
Around 15,000 people died in the disaster, which left 35,000 homeless.

It was the deadliest and most destructive earthquake in the country’s history.
On display are newspaper clippings, details of the rescue operation, amazing photos before and after the disaster and an account of the reconstruction of the city.
Afterwards, you can take a reflective stroll through the palm trees and cacti in the Jardin d’Olhão, which owes its name to Agadir’s twin city in Portugal.

15 best things to do in Agadir: Paradise Valley:

In the High Atlas Mountains, about 20 kilometers northeast of Agadir, the Tamraght River zigzags through a rocky gorge in layers up to 180 meters deep.
Here, the river fills crystal-clear pools of a remarkable shade of light green, contained by high stone ledges…

On a hot day it’s impossible to resist the temptation to jump into the sparkling river.
Near the parking lot, the river has palm and orange trees, and there is a café serving freshly squeezed orange juice next to the pool here.
This is a visit best made in spring, as the pools dry up at the end of summer.

Desert walk and lunch with Moroccan tea:

This adventure via Sahara Morocco Tours sums up entire vacation experiences in just one day.
You’ll head south to see the impressive Youssef Ibn Tachfine dam on the Massa river, before reaching the Rsmouka desert dunes and taking a camel ride if you like.

For lunch, you will be invited to a typical Berber house for a tagine, followed by a dessert of local fruit and a glass of mint tea.
The afternoon will be spent in the walled city of Tiznit, famous as a center for goldsmithing, a craft perfected by Jewish goldsmiths at the end of the 19th century.
From there, you’ll venture into the Massa Valley in the 33,800-strong Souss-Massa National Park, a Ramsar wetland with rare breeding grounds for marbled ducks and glossy ibis.

15 best things to do in Agadir: La Médina:

In Ben Sergao, a few kilometers from the center of Agadir, you can enter a replica of a typical Berber medina.
This open-air museum is apparently large, covering more than five hectares, and was built in the early 1990s using local materials and traditional methods by the Italian artist Coco Polizzi.

In the galleries are craft workshops, as well as residences, a museum, a small hotel and a restaurant.
A small fee (40 MAD) is charged at the gate, but entry is free if you plan to dine here.

Half-day trip to Agadir City Discovery:

For a brief introduction to the best parts of Agadir, you can sign up for this three-hour tour with Sahara Morocco Tours.
All the must-sees are included in a quick visit to the Marina, the Oufella and the Souk El Had, as well as some sites not on this list, such as the Mohammed V Mosque, the Beth el Synagogue and the Sainte- Anne Catholic Church, surrounded by a small garden overflowing with bougainvillea.

The final stop will be an argan oil cooperative entirely owned by women.
Argan oil, which has long been used in medicine and cooking, is currently popular in the West as a foundation for cosmetics.

15 best things to do in Agadir: Golf:

Agadir’s status as the golfing capital of Morocco is highlighted by the Hassan II Golf Trophy and the Lalla Meryem Cup on the European Tour and Ladies European Tour respectively.
Both tournaments take place at the extremely private Golf du Palais Royal.
The good news is that there are four public courses within ten kilometers of Agadir.

These are Golf de l’Ocean (27 holes), Golf Club les Dunes (9,9,9), Golf Club Le Soleil (18,9,9) and Royal Golf Club Agadir (9), while the wonderful Golf Tazegzout by the Sea (18) is about 20 minutes away on the coast.
For those who want to get some practice in first, the Golf Training Center near Golf Club les Dunes has a driving range with 51 carpeted spaces, as well as putting, chipping and pitching greens.
Where to stay: Best Hotels in Agadir, Morocco
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