Agadir is Morocco's beach-resort capital — rebuilt from the ground up after the 1960 earthquake and organised entirely around 10 km of Atlantic sand, near year-round sun and package-holiday comfort. It is also the gateway to the Souss Valley, the argan forests and the Taghazout surf coast. From a Marrakech base it is a 3.5–4 hour drive south over the Atlas, and it answers a different question entirely from the medina city: sea and sun rather than souks and palaces.
Planning · Updated June 2026 · 7 min read
What are the main things to do in Agadir?
Do not come to Agadir for old monuments — the 1960 earthquake killed some 15,000 people and flattened the old medina in seconds, leaving almost nothing standing. What rose in its place is modern, orderly and built around the seafront. The beach (Plage d'Agadir) is the headline: a 10 km golden crescent with water calm enough for swimming, steady enough for first surf lessons, and broad enough to swallow big crowds without ever feeling packed. The promenade behind it is tidy, walkable and lined with cafés, restaurants and resort hotels — a planned, easygoing waterfront a world away from the Marrakech medina.
Above the town, Oufella Hill (236 m) keeps the ruins of the pre-earthquake kasbah and a wide panorama over the bay, now reachable by a cable car. The Ancienne Medina d'Agadir — also called Medina Polizzi — is a reconstruction of a traditional medina built by Italian architect Coco Polizzi between 1992 and 2000 using old materials and techniques, with artisan workshops, galleries and a small hotel inside. It is not a genuine historic quarter, but it is thoughtfully done and worth an hour.
- Plage d'Agadir — 10 km beach; swimming, surfing, horse riding, water sports.
- Oufella Hill kasbah ruins — panoramic bay view; best at sunset.
- Ancienne Medina Polizzi — reconstructed traditional medina; artisan workshops and gallery.
- Valley of the Birds (Vallée des Oiseaux) — small urban park with birds and a children's zoo.
- Agadir Souk el Had — the city's large weekly market; fresh produce, spices and household goods.
- Marina d'Agadir — yacht marina with restaurants and a lively evening promenade.
What day trips and excursions are there from Agadir?
Agadir earns its keep as a launchpad for the surrounding region. Taghazout, 20 km north, is Morocco's leading surf village and works best as a day trip or short stay from Agadir; the coast road up there rolls past Tamraght and Banana Beach with the Atlantic on one side and the argan hills on the other. Imsouane, 70 km north, holds Africa's longest right-hand wave and makes a superb half-day for surfers about 1.5 hours up the coast.
South of the city, the Souss-Massa National Park (60 km) is one of Morocco's most important coastal reserves, sheltering the rare bald ibis along with flamingos, ospreys and wetland birds; a morning with binoculars pays off, and there is a visitor centre at Sidi Rbat. North-east in the Anti-Atlas foothills, Paradise Valley (about 60 km) is a lush gorge of pink granite, oleander and natural rock pools — a lovely half-day hike and swim in summer and autumn. For travellers comparing routes, these excursions are markedly different in character from the Atlas day trips out of Marrakech, leaning coastal and Anti-Atlas rather than High Atlas.
- Taghazout — 20 km north; Morocco's surf capital; half day or overnight.
- Imsouane — 70 km north; Africa's longest wave; 1.5 hr drive.
- Paradise Valley — 60 km north-east; pink granite gorge, rock pools, half-day hike.
- Souss-Massa National Park — 60 km south; bald ibis, flamingos, coastal wetlands.
- Tiznit — 85 km south; walled Berber city with a famous silver souk.
- Taroudant — 80 km east; the 'little Marrakech' with intact ramparts and a relaxed medina.
What is Agadir like for families?
Agadir is the easiest city in Morocco to travel with children. The beach is safe for them; the resort hotels lay on pools, kids' clubs and dependable facilities; the food in hotels and seafront restaurants is international enough to please fussy eaters; and the relaxed resort mood is far gentler on small children than the sensory crush of the Marrakech or Fes medinas. The promenade surf schools take beginners from around age eight.
Crocoparc — a park of more than 300 Nile crocodiles about 10 km north of town — and the Oufella Hill cable car are the main kid-pleasers. The Valley of the Birds, a small urban park, is a calm 20-minute stop in the centre, and beach horse rides and quad bikes on the sand keep older children and teenagers happy. Families pairing this with Marrakech often do the medina first and unwind on the Agadir coast afterwards.
Where should you eat and what food is Agadir known for?
Agadir's food has less character than Essaouira's or Marrakech's, but it rewards anyone who steps past the hotel buffet. The Port d'Agadir fish market, where the Atlantic catch lands each morning, runs informal grill stalls turning out impossibly fresh sardines, bream and bass at harbour prices. Talborjt, the city's lived-in heart behind the tourist strip, has Moroccan cafés and small kitchens serving honest harira, brochettes and couscous at local rates.
The Souss Valley is Morocco's breadbasket — the source of argan oil, of saffron from Taliouine (about two hours east), and of almonds and citrus. Women's argan co-operatives line the Agadir–Essaouira road; stopping at one to watch the oil pressed from hand-cracked nuts and buying direct is among the most genuine food experiences in the region. Co-op prices for real cold-pressed cosmetic argan oil are fixed and fair, and the same co-ops sit on the route many travellers take between Marrakech, Essaouira and Agadir.
How does Agadir compare to Essaouira?
Agadir and Essaouira are the two big Atlantic-coast choices, and the difference matters. Agadir is larger (around 400,000 people), more modern, with a broad, safe, swimmable beach but little cultural texture — a beach resort, and best taken as one. Essaouira is a historic fortified port with a real medina, magnificent ramparts, better food and far more atmosphere, but a windier beach and stronger surf. Note too that Essaouira is the classic day trip from Marrakech, about 2 hours 45 minutes each way, while Agadir, about 3 hours south on the motorway, suits a dedicated beach base rather than a quick hop.
For families with young children and anyone wanting a beach-led holiday with easy excursions, Agadir is the stronger base. For culture, history, seafood and a place that simply feels more Moroccan, choose Essaouira. The two are about 2.5 hours apart and slot together easily on a longer coastal trip, often tied back to a few days in Marrakech.