scubish.com: Travel information for Agadir

Get in

Airport-taxi 150 Dh during the day and 200 Dh during the night (if you arrive during the evening, the change is about 8:00pm). Bus 60 Dh, if you are three or more, 40 Dh. The stop in Agadir is at the Sahara's hotel parking. There is a company that has a telephone number: (0)28 82 20 17 and can bring a taxi to your hotel at any time of the day or night and costs the same that taking the taxi at the street. They speak Arabic, French, English and German.

There is no train connection to Agadir, you can only use the bus as a public transport. Agadir's bus station is at he Sahara hotel's parking, and is possible to take grand taxis there. There's a city at about ten kilometers, called Inezgane, which is the region's bus hub. Is very usual to arrive there and not to Agadir. The grand taxi to Agadir costs from 4 Dh/person.

Go to Inezgene from the airport, which is closer, easier to catch there bus to Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Taroudannt and other places. Not touristic as modern Agadir!

Get around

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, they will ask you normally from 10 to 20 Dh.

There are also some buses but, as usual, they are very crowded, slow, and pass with low frequency. The touristic city is small enough to go walking instead of going by bus.

Around Agadir

At 40km south from Agadir, there is the Souss-Massa river national park

At about 80km east from Agadir, there is the city of Taroudannt, which really worths 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 at 15 km. You can get to these towns using the Zetrap bus lines that leave from the center of Agadir.

Agadir hasn't got many things to visit since it's mainly a new city and a touristic resort.

The main attraction is the beach, which is very big, without wind and not very crowded.

There's part of the original fortress which is at the top of the hill beside the city, over the huge painting. It's possible to go there by taxi, bus or even small mopeds that are for rent around of the Hotel Kenzi (they are expensive, more than 100 Dh an hour).

There is a small zoo, called "Vallée des Oiseaux". The entrance is very cheap, 5 Dh adults and 3 Dh for the children. There is a very nice cage you can walk inside, many birds from all the world, some goat-like animals from the Atlas, and even exotic mammals. The children of Agadir go there to play in a small and crowded playground. To find it, go to the Uniprix, and the main gate is on the other side of the street on the right (Av. Hassan II).

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 fix-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 is possible to buy small typical pieces in maybe the least authentic shop in Morocco, but the prices are no so high and there is nobody pushing you to buy.

Eat

There are three main zones to eat in Agadir:

New Talbourjt: The cheapest restaurants are here. There are menus for 35 Dh. 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 touristic zone.

Around the Uniprix: It's the mid price zone. There are touristic restaurants and some restaurants for the local people.

Drink

Agadir is touristically prepared for Europeans, so you can find night clubs in the touristic zones, where you can find more tourists beside the usual locals looking for tourists.

Alcohol is found in all the touristic places.

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

Check out the 4 Star Hotel Jacaranda Golf Hotel Agadir. Every comfort and great food and lovely pool and gardens

If you're on a budget, Hotel Diaf is a great place to stay. Its just near where the bus stops (1 min walk), right next to an internet cafe and about 20 mins walk or a 6dh taxi ride(don't forget to get them to turn the meter on)to the seafront. It is possible to stay in a room on the roof with a double bed and a single for 100dh! The best thing is, it has an amazing warm shower with a large showerhead. The rooms definitely have a "backpackers" feel, but its a great, and cheap, experience.

Agadir (Arabic: أكادير, Berber (Amazigh): ) is a city in southwest Morocco, capital of the Souss-Massa-Dra region.

Description

It has a population of 678,596 (2004; census figures for the agglomeration include the near-by cities of Inezgane and Aït Melloul); the population of the city proper is estimated at 200,000. The mild winter climate (January average midday temperature 20°C/68°F) and good beaches have made it a major "winter sun" destination for Northern Europeans. The current mayor is Tariq Kabbaj.

The city is located on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just north of the point where the Souss River flows into the ocean.

Today, Agadir is an important fishing and commercial port, the first sardine port in the world, (exporting cobalt, manganese, zinc and citrus).It is also a famous seaside resort with a long sandy beach. Because of its large buildings, wide roads, modern hotels, and European-style cafés, Agadir is not a typical city of traditional Morocco, but it is a modern, busy and dynamic town.
Agadir is famous for its sea food and agriculture.

The city's main neighborhoods are:

Secteur Touristique

Les Amicales

City Centre

Nouveau Talborjt

Cité Suisse

Dakhla

Anza

L'Erac.

Quartier Industriel

Quartier Residentiel

It is served by the Al Massira Airport.

History

During medieval times, there was only a fishermen village there, Agadir el-arba`.

In 1505 the Portuguese established there a trading post named Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué, under a governor. In 1541, the city came under Wattasid control and in 1572 a stronghold was built on the top of the hill overlooking the bay, the Kasbah. Agadir became prosperous for two centuries.

In 1911, the arrival of a German gunboat (the Panther), officially to protect the local German community, triggered the Agadir Crisis between France and Germany which allowed France, in 1913, to establish a protectorate over nearly the whole kingdom of Morocco.

At 15 minutes to midnight on February 29, 1960, Agadir was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake that lasted 15 seconds, burying the city and killing thousands. The death toll is estimated at 15,000. The earthquake destroyed the ancient Kasbah. On its front gate can still be read the following sentence in Dutch: "Fear God and honor thy King".

On seeing the destruction in Agadir, King Muhammad V of Morocco declared: "If Destiny decided the destruction of Agadir, its rebuilding depends of our Faith and Will." Reconstruction began in 1961, two kilometers south of the earthquake epicenter.

Agadir Agreement

Agadir Crisis of 1911

1960 Agadir earthquake

Museums

Musee de Talborjt "La Casbah"

Musee Bert Flint

Le Musse des Arts Berberes

Musee Municipal de Agadir

Le Sicilien Coco Polizzi (Quartier)

Education

University of Agadir

Ircam Institut Royal de La Culture Amazighe