Sea, sun and fun

Agadir is a very new town. After being destroyed by the earthquake, it has been built into big boulevards, roads and parks. It has beautiful houses, a clean beach, relaxed people. Locals also like it there for vacation and work because it has more facilities than the rest of the country. Surprisingly we have seen a lot of women working here, most were very presentable. That's a freedom that they do not have in all Morocco today. Agadir is not only physically but also mentally European. That's why it is a good idea to start in Agadir: release the tension of eventual culture shock.

Quick Tips:

Once you are transfered to one of the tourist hotels, you can rest for a few days, acclimatize, and visit a Turkish bath for relaxing, where a scrup and massage costs nothing European terms. Visit the marina, medina, walk on the beach, hang around the pool.

A tip: If you really have the feeling that you are being ripped off during shopping, just stop at one of the Marjane supermarkets (there is also one in Agadir) to get a fair price.

Best Way To Get Around:

After a few days of relaxation, you may want to move away from this lazy tourist paradise. You can rent a car: but beware that cheaper local agencies can make a digit error and charge 10 times more to your credit card accidentally! So it is a good idea to prefer international agencies. We rented from Budget: great service, great personnel. If you want to go to Marrakesh, you may prefer CTM buses, which have a slightly better schedule than others. Some travelers may advise you to do grand taxi. Don't do it! I have attached a photo of grand taxi. Look at it, that's why.

This is a hotel you see on tourist brochures. Guests may choose between half-board or all-inclusive when they book. We have chosen it because it was cheaper with the flight than the flight itself including transfer from the airport (I have no idea how this is possible). We arrived at 2 o'clock at night and I was screaming already because the reception guy wanted to place a bracelet on me which I could not get rid of until I leave! We really did not want to stick around too long in the hotel or travel Morocco with a plastic orange bracelet! I told him that I had bracelet-phobia with my husband, he had to believe eventually to stop me yelling and made it so loose that I could get rid of it whenever I wanted.

In order to recover from the flight we hanged around for a few days, watched all-inclusive guests, wow, they eat really a lot! But the lunches in Agadir tasted always better than the hotel. Food in the hotel was more about quantity, quality was absolutely the worst we have had in Morocco. There were many tennis courts, three swimming pools and the occasional animators in the hotel. I was surprised about the synagogue in the hotel: Beth Agador, which was closed all the time. I asked the girl at the reception because most employees are Muslims and customers are Christians, so why not convert this into a multi-religious center where people can get spiritual assistance in their bathing suits? The girl looked serious and said: 'The big boss is Jewish'.

After a tour of the Kasbah, we stopped by the fish market to eat fish at one of the small shops. At the moment that we entered the scene, we were attacked by many people at once inviting to eat at their place. They were not afraid of using gestures like pulling and pushing us to different directions. That plus the impossibility of enjoying a fine wine with fresh fish let us get out of there. We moved to the boulevard on the way to Agadir and discovered this elegant place by means of good luck.

It is relaxed, friendly and great value for money. They have a good selection of wines and an affordable 'catch of the day' menu for lunch. The waiter brought the fish to the table and cleaned it almost with a ceremony. A portrait of the king of Morocco was hung on the wall, smiling upon us. He is known for his ambition to make Morocco a modern country - he has introduced his wife to the public as their queen, and more importantly, he married only one woman. So we toasted to his honor and ambition in this tastefully decorated, unique place.

This is a project which was started by an Italian architect Coco Polizzi just out of the city of Agadir. The purpose is to demonstrate the traditional Moroccan architectural style by using old techniques and local material. Construction is still in progress, so it is not fully complete yet.

At the entrance you will be picked up by a guide, but you do not have to stick to them, especially if you do not speak French. Buildings are used to illustrate traditional Moroccan handwork like shaping wood, making babush, etc. It is surely more interesting in to see the markets in Marrakesh, but here without hustle and bustle you will be a bit more relaxed than a real commercial center. Hand workers were very polite and would answer all questions, gesture politely. There are shops as well, very expensive ones and a very expensive restaurant.

Buses leaving to Medina D'agadir are very often, pass all hotels in Agadir. You really cannot miss it; ask the reception of your hotel. Entrance is including the bus ride 40 dirhams.

Kasbah is the big building on the hill overlooking the bay of Agadir. You can recognise the hill very easily because of the giant 'Be afraid of Allah and honor your king' in Arabic, of course. The same script is also to be seen at the entrance of the Kasbah, but in Dutch. I was told that Agadir was a Portuguese colony, what the hell is Dutch doing here? Nobody knows it properly, I guess. Even the guys standing at the entrance and offering 'a tour'. So you won't hire someone who would not know which language it’s written in, and it is not necessary to rent a guide here anyway. If the occasional kid comes along with his lovely lamb, you have to wave your finger and say 'Mekteb, mekteb' which means 'school school' to tease him. He is really the cutest thing, too bad that he and lots of children his age have to work in this country.

The only good reason to come to the Kasbah is the great view of the Agadir bay and marina. You will see from here that there is plenty of industry here, especially fishing. So it's not all about tourists in this city - you can still get a grasp of Moroccan life.