Agadir – Souss Massa – Maroc

Agadir, view from Oufella

Hector & Marg spent a week in Agadir at the end of December, 2023. By day, the temperature was in the low to mid twenties Celsius, by night it was chilly, down to 6ºC. Regardless, by noon each day it was fine for t-shirt and shorts. The long, and remarkably clean, sandy beach was always quiet, the locals tend not to find this time of year conducive to swimming in the sea.

We arrived in Agadir, which translates to English as – Granary, three months after the 2023 earthquake. The epicentre was inland in the southern Atlas Mountains, so Agadir was unaffected by this one. However, in 1960 an earthquake destroyed much of Agadir resulting in a horrendous loss of life. The city has been rebuilt and continues to expand. Agadir has fortunately mostly escaped the curse of 1960s architecture, apartment blocks are seemingly well designed. The investment in housing and road construction is paying dividends.

Affordable housing, albeit on the eastern periphery, and a network of dual carriageways suggests the planners are getting it right. Bus and cycle lanes are expanding in the inner city, congestion is therefore minimal. Frequent speed bumps prevent speeding vehicles. One was also left with the impression that a significant percentage of the World’s traffic cops must be employed in Agadir.

Buses are cheap, but good luck in using them. Trying to read the destination board in brilliant sunlight meant that option was quickly dismissed.

Within Agadir is an abundance of the local Orange taxis which cannot leave the city. These can be easily flagged down. Cheap is an apt description, a couple of Euros covers a distance which could be a half hour’s walk. Why people have to be told to ensure the meter is running, who knows?

White and yellow taxis convey passengers longer distances. Hoteliers should be able to arrange airport transfers (@€20.00).

With the exception of pre-booked taxis, always make sure the meter is running.

On the coast, Agadir is bounded to the north by the port/marina plus Oufella, the site of the original hilltop Medina. To the south, a line of golf courses on the bank of the Oued Sous is adjacent to sand dunes with restricted access.

Oufella, reconstructed walls

By night, the outline of the illuminated Oufella resembles a giant passenger liner. Oufella is accessible by bus, taxi, a considerably climb by foot, or cable-car. The locals use traditional methods meaning the cable-car is used mostly by tourists.

The exterior walls of the Medina have been rebuilt, the core of the site remains off-limits. Apart from the vista, there is actually little to see at the top.

In 1992, a new Medina was built to the south of the city – Agadir Medina – as a cultural centre.

Agadir Medina

The architecture is in keeping with tradition. Nearby is Kasbatt Souss, both feature handcrafted fayre.

The main market – Souk El Had – was clearly rebuilt after the 1960 earthquake.

Souk El Had

The walled Souk has the broadest passageways this commentator has even seen in an Arabian market. Consequently, all sense of claustrophobia is lost, the air is much cleaner, and the classic Souk aroma is therefore less intense.

Halfway between the airport and the city lies – Crocoparc.