If you want to know what are the most important things to do in Agadir Morocco, this guide is for you. Learn about the best things to do in Agadir as well as the best restaurants in Agadir and also discover some of the best day trips from Agadir, the surfing city of Morocco.
Agadir is a very modern coastal city in the southern part of Morocco.
It is an accessible and affordable destination if you plan to use it as a base for a surfing trip in Morocco. The city has an airport that connects Agadir to all other major Moroccan cities, and it is easy to get there from Casablanca or Marrakech by public transport.
The city of Agadir was partially destroyed in the sixties of the last century by a massive earthquake, but it was quickly rebuilt and improved, and now it attracts people from all over the world.
There are a lot of fun things to do in Agadir. The city has great beaches nearby, a vibrant nightlife, interesting museums and even a zoo.
In this guide you will find what are the top ten recommendations of things to do in Agadir.
Where is Agadir Morocco?
Agadir is a modern coastal city located in the southern part of Morocco. It is located north of the point where the Souss River flows into the ocean.
The city is located 509 km south of Casablanca, 175 km from Essaouira, and 258 km from Marrakech. The majority of its population speaks Tamazight, one of the two official languages of Morocco.
Some tips and recommendations before visiting Agadir
Before visiting Agadir, I suggest learning a few words from French or Moroccan Arabic. Most shopkeepers and taxi drivers in Agadir speak only these two languages while the younger generation begins to learn English.
Learning a few words of Moroccan Arabic will help you during your visit.
It's packed with all the essential words and phrases you'll need on your trip to Morocco and will help you in every situation – from finding a hotel room to ordering tagines or joining local celebrations, this book will cover almost every situation you can imagine.
I also recommend getting a mapping software on your phone that works offline. Google Maps and maps.me have helped us navigate the streets of Agadir and many other Moroccan cities.
One of the great features of these map apps is that they can be used both online and offline. Connect to the wifi network of your hostel and download a map of the part you would like to explore in Agadir.
These maps work with your phone's GPS chip so it keeps working, even when you're offline.
How to get from Agadir Airport to Agadir
The distance between Agadir Airport (Agadir Al Massira Airport) to the city in km is only 25 km. From the airport you can reach the city center by bus, shared taxi or rental car.
Car rental at Agadir Airport
You will find some car rental agencies directly in the airport parking lot. The airport is located about 25 km outside Agadir city centre.
If you're renting a car, this is the way you should take to get to the city center:
How much is a taxi from Agadir airport to Agadir
There are plenty of taxis at the airport that can take you directly to the city center. They have a fixed price of AED 200 to bring you to the city centre from the airport.
How to get from Agadir Airport to Agadir by bus
From the airport you can also get to the city center by bus. Bus number 22 runs from the airport to Inezgane, a small suburb of Agadir. From there you can take bus number 20, 24 or 28 to reach the center of Agadir.
The last bus departs from the airport at 20:30.
Is Agadir safe?
Morocco is generally considered a safe destination and Agadir is one of the safest and most modern cities in the Kingdom.
In Agadir, police will be seen touring tourist areas and around royal palaces. There is also a special tourist police unit that is dressed in civilian clothes and works to keep you safe.
You will see a lot of families and children on the streets of Agadir.
10 best things to do in Agadir Morocco
If you're looking for a list of the best things to do in Agadir, look no further! Here are 10 fun things you can do while in Agadir:
1. Spend the day surfing in Agadir
If you're looking for things to do in Agadir, surfing should be at the top of your list.
Agadir is a great destination for surfers of all levels. There are some great beaches near the city and they are all easily accessible by public transport.
Agadir has some great beaches perfect for surfers of all levels...
These cities are ideal for new surfers who want to ride small waves.
I would suggest that less experienced surfers try the waves in the area known as Banana Beach. It is a long interval on the right side that bends in the form of a banana.
You can rent a car and drive along the beautiful coast to get there from Agadir, take a taxi (about 800-1200 dirhams from Agadir), or take the Souk to Surf shuttle bus.
2. SPEND AN AFTERNOON IN THE SHADE OF TREES IN THE VALLEY OF THE BIRDS OF AGADIR
ANOTHER ITEM THAT YOU SHOULD ADD TO YOUR LIST OF LEISURE ACTIVITIES TO DO IN AGADIR IS TO VISIT THE VALLEY OF THE BIRDS OF AGADIR. THIS IS A NICE LITTLE PARK AND ZOO IN THE CITY CENTER.
IT IS A FUN ACTIVITY THAT YOU CAN DO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY IF YOU WANT TO ESCAPE THE HEAT AS THE GARDEN IS WELL SHADED AND COOL EVEN DURING THE SUMMER.
YOU WILL SEE AN AMAZING COLLECTION OF BIRDS IN THIS PARK. YOU WILL BE SURROUNDED BY PARROTS, FLAMINGOS, SWANS AND PEACOCKS. THERE ARE ALSO OTHER ANIMALS LIVING THERE SUCH AS LAMBS, DEER AND TURTLES.
4. Take a stroll in Souk Hidd Agadir
There's nothing quite like wandering through public markets to instantly immerse yourself in the new culture you discover. Open markets and souks can tell you many things about Moroccan culture.
From the way people dress to the way they talk and haggle over prices, the market is often the best place to discover all these little cultural nuances.
5. Go for a walk to the old Kasbah
The ancient mud kasbah overlooking the city from the top of a nearby hill offers great views. It's the best place to visit if you want an idea of the size of the city or if you just want to taste the past.
This kasbah is considered one of the few architectural structures that remained after the earthquake destroyed the city in the sixties. It used to have a capacity of 300 people but now all that remains is the outer walls of the castle.
This walled city was built in 1572 by the Moroccan king Moulay Abdel-Allah al-Ghalib, to protect the population living on the coast from possible Portuguese invasions.
6. Go on a day trip from Agadir
There are plenty of fun activities to do in Agadir itself but the nature surrounding the city is also worth exploring. If you're wondering about the best day trips from Agadir, here are some places I highly recommend visiting:
6.1 Paradise Valley of Agadir
If you spend enough time in Morocco, it won't take long before you start hearing stories about a magnificent mountain valley full of palm trees, rivers, pools and stunning waterfalls in the south of the country.
This hidden valley is often called the Agadir Paradise Valley or simply the Paradise Valley. It is part of the Tamraght River Valley in the Moroccan High Atlas Mountains.
6.2 Souss Massa National Park
Souss Massa is a magnificent natural park located south of Agadir. It was created in 1991 to preserve the wetlands of the area and the animals that live in it.
The park consists of 33,000 hectares of wetlands, swamps, swamps and white sand dunes. It is one of the few places in Morocco where the northern bald ibis can be seen.
There are also many other exotic birds that come to breed in this park.
6.3 Invade
Taghazout is a great surfing city where surfers from all over the world come to enjoy the winter waves.
It is sometimes referred to as one of the best winter surfing destinations in Morocco.
Water temperatures rarely drop below 16°C in winter, and the air temperature ranges between 18-20°C even in January.
7. Discover Agadir
A few miles from the city center you'll find a huge place to relax from what Agadir was like before the earthquake devastated it.
This city is a wonderful hidden treasure outside of Agadir. Walking between replicas of columns and old walls feels like a journey into the past.
If you go there early in the morning, you'll find the place surprisingly uncrowded.
Admission costs AED 40 but includes a complimentary drink at one of the on-site cafes.
You can negotiate with taxi drivers and get a ride there and back to Agadir for AED 100.
8. See amazing mosques and museums
The central part of Agadir contains some beautiful monuments and museums.
If you want a short break from surfing and bathing in culture rather than the sea, start your visit to the city center by strolling around the Grand Mosque.
This mosque is really large and has a very modern design that contrasts with the architecture of other mosques across the country.
If you prefer to visit museums, I advise you to first visit the Amazigh Museum. It has some of the most interesting displays of Amazigh culture and artifacts that you will find throughout the country.
The exhibition showcases carpets and traditional Amazigh carpets, as well as some jewellery and musical instruments.
To learn more about the earthquake that struck Agadir in the sixties and how it tragically changed the lives of its people, visit the Agadir Memorial Museum.
This museum serves as a memorial and testimony to the tragic event that struck the city.
It contains an impressive collection of black and white photographs depicting what the city of Agadir looked like before the earthquake in the twenties of the last century.
