Agadir was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1960 and rebuilt as a modern city. Today it has one of the longest beaches in Morocco and a mild climate all year. Travellers are divided about it.
View 1: a resort, not the real Morocco
Critics say the city has little old architecture, the beach hotels could be anywhere, and visitors who stay only in Agadir miss Morocco’s culture.
View 2: the best base for the south
Others answer that Agadir’s airport, hotels and climate make it the easiest base for some of the least visited places in the country, all within reach:
- Agadir Oufella, the hilltop kasbah ruins above the city, for the view.
- Taroudant, a walled market town often called “little Marrakech”, about 85 km east.
- Tiznit, with its walls and silver jewellery souk.
- Tafraoute and the Ameln Valley, with pink granite boulders, almond trees and the famous Painted Rocks.
- Mirleft, Legzira and Sidi Ifni on the wild Atlantic coast.
- The Sahara: Erg Chigaga via Taroudant and Taliouine, or Merzouga via Ouarzazate.
Our view
Both are right. If you only lie on the beach, Agadir is a resort. If you use it as a base, it opens the whole south of Morocco. See our guide to the best day trips from Agadir.
- Taroudant Day Trip from Agadir
- Mirleft, Legzira and Sidi Ifni Day Trip
- 4-Day Southern Coast and Oases Tour (with Tafraoute)
- 4-Day Erg Chigaga Tour from Agadir
- 5-Day Sahara Tour from Agadir
All our tours are private, with your own driver-guide and vehicle, and every route can be adapted to you. Send us your dates on WhatsApp or through the enquiry form.
Written by Hda Abdou, founder of Morocco Cultours.
