Things To Do In Agadir

Nestled along Morocco’s sun drenched Atlantic coast, Agadir is a city where huge expanses of golden sand meet rugged mountains. It’s known for its year round sunshine and has a really relaxed vibe. You’ll find things to do for everyone in Agadir whether its haggling in the souk or taking a hike in the Atlas mountains.

Pick Up A Bargain In The Souk

Souk El Had, in Agadir, is Africa’s largest souk with over 6000 stalls in total. You can get anything you could possibly want in the souk, from freshly ground herbs and spices to ‘designer’ sunglasses. The best place to enter is through gate 5, where you will immediately be surrounded by colourful fruit and vegetables and fragrant herbs and spices.

You can then head towards gates 8 – 10 and explore the jewellery, pottery, bags, leather goods and even buy an oven if you need one!? Make sure you are ready to haggle to get a good price, we were advised to start at half the asking price and work your way up.

When you need a break there are plenty of food stalls offering traditional Moroccan food at very reasonable prices, if you need a break from the chaos head away from the souk to a Dar Tajine, a beautiful restaurant about 10 minutes away.

Quad Biking In The Sand Dunes

If you are staying in Agadir then there are plenty of companies offering quad biking tours in the sand dunes near Takate. As part of the tour they will pick you up from your hotel and transport you about 40 minutes out of the city to the small village of Takate.

We were given helmets and a quick lesson on how to ride a quad bike before we set off on a quiet country road towards the beach. The guide stays with you the whole time, and as you go the views get more and more impressive, until you arrive at a spot in the middle of the sand dunes where you can ride a camel or go sand boarding if you are brave enough.

We opted for the more relaxing option of taking photos of the camel while enjoying traditional Moroccan tea and biscuits, perfect after the excitement of 45 minutes of quad biking.

La Médina d’Agadir

Sadly, Agadir’s old town was destroyed by a huge earthquake in 1960 along with a lot of the city’s buildings. Beato Salvatore, a Sicilian born in Morocco, decided he wanted to recreate a Medina for the city and in 1992 he began work on this amazing project.

When you enter it is like stepping back in time, the attention to detail in all the buildings is amazing and it has been built following traditional methods, using materials sourced mainly from the region such as Agadir white stone, Anzi green slate, eucalyptus and laurel wood. You can explore the winding alleys, browse the artisan shops and stop for some food or drink in one of the three restaurants.

To visit La Médina is a charge of 40 dirham for adults and 20 dirhams for children however it was definitely worth it to glimpse what it would have been like before the earthquake.

Enjoy Breakfast With A View

I love Moroccan breakfasts, and I can’t think of a better way to enjoy one than in a beach front cafe, with the sound of the waves crashing on the beach and the Atlas mountains in the distance. Breakfast in Morocco usually consists of pastries, Moroccan pancakes (called msemen) served with honey, cream cheese or almond butter. You can often add an omelette or fruit salad, and they are accompanied by coffee or Moroccan tea and a juice. All of this comes at a very reasonable price (in our favourite spot it cost between £3 and £4!)

A great way to start the day Moroccan style!

Take A Cable Car To The Kabash Of Agadir Oufella

Not far from the beach you will find the cable car station, which is the first in Morocco. Here you can get a cable car that takes you up to the fort that sits at the top of the hill to the north of the beach. If you are brave enough (some of my family weren’t!) you get panoramic views of the beach, city and mountains as you slowly climb towards Agadir Oufella.

When you arrive you have plenty of time to explore and take in the simply stunning views from 236 feet above sea level. The fort itself is the site of the old city of Agadir, that was destroyed during the 1960 earthquake. The main structure has been restored but inside the walls the ruins remain. We took a ride up at sunset, which was beautiful, but meant that the Kabash wasn’t open. However it was still very much worth the 120 dirham for adults and 90 dirham for children.

Meet A Nile Crocodile

Crocoparc is a great option for kids and adults alike. It is just outside Agadir so only a short taxi ride away or you can book a trip where the transfer is included. The park is beautifully landscaped with plenty of space for the animals and above all we loved that the animals seemed very well looked after.

There are not just crocodiles here, we also saw tortoises, snakes, frogs, marmosets, and iguanas which you could walk among. The design of the park is well thought out, offering a variety of habitats such as sandy ‘beaches’, warrens, waterfalls and ponds to keep the animals happy. There is also lots of information to keep those with inquisitive minds (like my youngest daughter) engaged.

It is about a 2 – 3 hour trip and there is a restaurant on site if you need refreshment. We didn’t try it but the setting looked nice and the reviews said the food was good quality and value for money.

Take A Trip To Paradise Valley

Paradise Valley is nestled in the Atlas mountains near to Agadir and most trips include a walk along the valley until you reach the natural pools. I had read a few reviews saying that if it hasn’t rained then the stream can be a trickle and the pools are not full. Luckily we had extremely heavy rain a couple of days before we visited so there was plenty of water.

You walk along a path and over stepping stones until you reach the crystal clear pools that are perfect for a refreshing dip, beware the water is very cold and the rocks are slippery. Along the route there are various fruit juice stalls and restaurants offering delicious Moroccan food perfect for a little pit stop on the 30 – 40 minute walk.

If you are part of a tour it can get very busy and you don’t have the freedom to stop whenever you want. I would definitely recommend booking your own guide to give you flexibility and allow you to fully enjoy the beauty of the place.

Learn To Surf

As Agadir is on the Atlantic coast it is the perfect place to learn to surf. There are lots of companies that offer surf lessons for all abilities, either as part of a group or private lessons. We didn’t get the chance to try it ourselves, but we always enjoy watching the surfers from the beach or while relaxing with a drink at one of the many beachfront cafés. The setup looked well-organized, Agadir Beach is lifeguarded, and it seemed like a lot of fun!

People Watch At The Marina

The marina in Agadir is found at the end of the beach near the Kabash. Its a pretty marina with plenty of restaurants and cafés to grab a drink or a bite to eat in. From here you can watch a mixture of tourists and locals enjoying a stroll along the marina towards the pirate ship at the far end, which offers boat trips and is a great photo opportunity.

In the evening, the area comes to life, with cafés like Espresso Lab and Oliveri Cafe serving as popular spots to meet and socialize. We loved the vibrant atmosphere as we wandered over to Pure Passion, one of the best restaurants we visited during our stay.

There are plenty of other things to keep you occupied in Agadir such as visiting the waterpark, having a massage in a hammam or going sandboarding in the dunes, you can even take a day trip to Marrakesh. We definitely need to come back and explore more – the people are incredibly friendly, the weather is fantastic, and dining out is so affordable!