An important port town on the Moroccan coast, Agadir offers an impressive variety of activities, with its magnificent, perennially sun-soaked beaches, animated town centre and a kasbah that's perfect for a bit of retail therapy. No surprise, then, that the city is on of the most popular tourist destinations in the Middle East, with numerous flights heading to Agadir. Add to that the fact that the city was completely destroyed and rebuilt following an earthquake, you can understand why the place can be a nightmare for independent travellers to Morocco. All the more so, given that tea rooms have given place here to pubs and pizzerias...
Several reasons, then why I wasn't particularly captivated by Agadir, despite the good European restaurants and incredible beaches you can find there.
An important port town on the Moroccan coast, Agadir offers an impressive variety of activities, with its magnificent, perennially sun-soaked beaches, animated town centre and a kasbah that's perfect for a bit of retail therapy. No surprise, then, that the city is on of the most popular tourist destinations in the Middle East, with numerous flights heading to Agadir. Add to that the fact that the city was completely destroyed and rebuilt following an earthquake, you can understand why the place can be a nightmare for independent travellers to Morocco. All the more so, given that tea rooms have given place here to pubs and pizzerias...
Several reasons, then why I wasn't particularly captivated by Agadir, despite the good European restaurants and incredible beaches you can find there.
Obviously you have to go and see the beach when you are in Agadir, but my best memory of the place was visiting the port! In fact I was lucky enough to go there with a local who took me to some less touristy places. I ate the best crayfish that I have ever tasted there.
I also have great memories of my visit to the new medina. In Arabic the word "medina" means "town" but when you are in Morocco you understand that medina is also the name for the centre of town, often very touristy, and also for the area where you find the souks and markets, which are unmissable places to see during a visit to Morocco.
Obviously you have to go and see the beach when you are in Agadir, but my best memory of the place was visiting the port! In fact I was lucky enough to go there with a local who took me to some less touristy places. I ate the best crayfish that I have ever tasted there.
I also have great memories of my visit to the new medina. In Arabic the word "medina" means "town" but when you are in Morocco you understand that medina is also the name for the centre of town, often very touristy, and also for the area where you find the souks and markets, which are unmissable places to see during a visit to Morocco.
Agadir is a city that has grown up around mass consumption and tourism. Personally, I find the concrete bars that have been constructed facing out to the ocean here to be ugly and a blot on the scenery.
And in the city's seafront restaurants, you're more likely to find hamburgers and pizzas being eaten than tajine and pastillas. I remember having some difficulty finding a mint tea in the city centre. Coca-Cola, by contrast, was offered to me everywhere I went!
As you've no doubt gathered, I am not particularly taken with Agadir: I find it to be artificial and overrated by comparison with the rest of Morocco. Modern Agadir serves as a place to include on the itinerary for your trip to Morocco if you want to spend some time bathing and enjoying the beach, with all the modern comforts at your disposal.
Agadir is a city that has grown up around mass consumption and tourism. Personally, I find the concrete bars that have been constructed facing out to the ocean here to be ugly and a blot on the scenery.
And in the city's seafront restaurants, you're more likely to find hamburgers and pizzas being eaten than tajine and pastillas. I remember having some difficulty finding a mint tea in the city centre. Coca-Cola, by contrast, was offered to me everywhere I went!
As you've no doubt gathered, I am not particularly taken with Agadir: I find it to be artificial and overrated by comparison with the rest of Morocco. Modern Agadir serves as a place to include on the itinerary for your trip to Morocco if you want to spend some time bathing and enjoying the beach, with all the modern comforts at your disposal.
