Agadir

Agadir (Moroccan Arabic: أݣادير) is a city in the southern part of Morocco. Agadir is a tourist resort that is popular with European travelers and Moroccans alike. It has a beach with all the appropriate facilities for beach-tourism. The city is especially attractive, it is clean and orderly with very friendly locals.

Understand
Agadir is of interest primarily because of its location, as it is surrounded by the Anti Atlas, the Sahara Desert, many natural parks, and secluded beaches which are all easily accessible from Agadir.

By plane


Getting there: Official taxi costs 200 dirham plus 20 dirham per each bag. Cheaper taxis can be found just outside of the airport, with prices starting at 80-100 dirham (as of Jan 2018).

There are no direct buses from the airport, however a transit bus #37 can be caught at the main road junction just outside the airport, it goes to Inezgane for 7 dirham every 40 minutes or so. From there you'll need to catch another bus for 4 dirham or grand taxi to Agadir for another 7 dirham (as of Jan 2024).

The Alsa bus company launched the airport shuttle between the city center and the airport for 50 dirham one way, and or round-trip for 80 dirham per person, as of Jan 2024.

More international connections and ultra low-cost flights from Europe fly to the airport of Marrakesh. From there you can take an intercity bus to Agadir.

By train
There is no train connection with Agadir.

By bus




Between Essaouira and Agadir it is very easy to catch an intercity bus anywhere along the way. During the day there is one bus about every hour. While CTM and Supratours are not allowed to pick up additional passengers, local intercity buses do not have such a restriction. This is a great way to explore the coast including Taghazout between these two cities without issues. The regular price for the full distance is 50 dirham.

On foot
The touristy part of the city is small enough to be able to walk it.

By bus
There is a public bus service which is quite reliable. Fares are usually 3.50-5 dirham, directly paid to the driver, who will hand you a proper ticket. Keep the ticket until the end, there might be controls. Maps can be obtained from the Tourist Office which is along the Boulevard Mohammad V near the Miramar Hotel. Alternatively, also OpenStreetMap has the Agadir bus network available, so get yourself one of the mobile apps using OpenStreetMap, like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz.

By taxi
Most of the Agadir's petit taxi are quite legal and use the taximeter (you can ask the driver to do it without any problems).

If you go around the center though, they will ask you normally from 30 to 50 dirham (as of 2019). This is not legal, and you can refuse to pay anything but the price listed on the taximeter if it has been reset at the beginning of the trip.

By motorbike rental
Mopeds can be rented around Hotel Kenzi, but they are expensive, more than 100 dirham an hour.

Do
Agadir is primarily a resort and as such has a limited number of attractions
 * Football:
 * Football:
 * Football:
 * Football:
 * Football:
 * Football:

Buy
Agadir is maybe the city with the least charm to buy the typical Moroccan handcraft goods. All the souk is around a big square behind the Uniprix (Blvd. Hassan II with Ave. Sidi Mohammed). There is a concrete building called Marché centrale with many shops inside. Is possible to get in also from Ave. Prince Moulay Abdallah. All the goods are made outside the Agadir region, and it's difficult to find them at a good price. The good thing of buying in Agadir is that there are many fixed-price shops, which is good if you don't know how to haggle well. In fact, you may find that the cheap things you bought in Marrakech are not so cheap!

In the Uniprix shop it is possible to buy small typical pieces in maybe the least authentic shop in Morocco, but the prices are not so high and there is nobody pushing you to buy.



Eat
There are four main zones in which to eat in Agadir:
 * New Talbourjt: The cheapest restaurants are here. There are menus for 35 dirham. It's one of the cheapest zones in Morocco for tourists.
 * The beach: Next to the beach, there are many restaurants. You can find from international fast food to Indian food, good fish restaurants, etc. It's the most expensive and tourist zone.
 * Around the Uniprix: It's the mid-price zone. There are tourist restaurants and some restaurants for the local people.

If you're looking for a quick snack, keep an eye out for the pastry vendors who roam the beach carrying big plastic trays, selling sweet fried bread that are called "sfinj."

Beware, however, that these friendly hawkers will often approach you on the beach, strike up a conversation, and then thrust a pastry into your hand, whether you asked for one or not. Which, of course, you are then expected to pay for (1-2 dirham, not 5-10). If you don't want to buy, simply refuse the offer with a polite smile. They are delicious, though.

Drink
Agadir is prepared for European tourists, so you can find night clubs in the tourist zones, where you can find more tourists beside the usual locals looking for tourists.

Alcohol is found in all the tourist places and can also be purchased at the Uniprix and Atacadao supermarkets.

If you are looking just to talk and drink something during the evening, you can go to the nice and big cafes that are at ave. Hassan II, like La Fontaine, La Veranda, Le Dome, etc. It's a real ritual for many Agadir citizens.

Sleep
The main budget accommodation area is in the Nouveau Tablorjt. A simple double room will set you back around 150–180 dirham although you might find a really basic hotel with crappy toilets for 80 dirham. Arrive early as hotels tend to fill up quickly in high season.

Hostels you can find in Tamraght and Taghazout, 15km from Agadir.

Go next

 * About 40 km south from Agadir, there is the Souss-Massa river national park. 1½ hr along the same road is Tiznit. Another half an hour later Mirleft and after yet another 30 minutes one is in Sidi Ifni.
 * At about 80 km east from Agadir, there is the city of Taroudannt, which is worth the visit if you don't plan to visit Marrakech or other big historical cities.
 * The coast northern to Agadir has very nice and accessible beaches, like Taghazout which is 15 km away. You can get to these towns by bus #60 and bus #12 that leave from the center of Agadir. Bus #32 runs every 20 minutes or so north on Boulevard Mohammend V, 12 dirham.
 * Imouzzer with its famous cascades is located about 60 km northeast of Agadir, although the trip through the mountains will take longer than the distance suggests.