Agadir Like a Local: Hidden Gems & Neighborhoods

Petit taxis reach all of these from the centre; grand taxis cover Inezgane.

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   Agadir Oufella (the kasbah)

   The hilltop kasbah above the port was built in 1540 under the Saadian sultan Mohammed ash-Sheikh and was destroyed in the earthquake of 29 February 1960, which killed an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 people. Today the restored walls, a memorial to the victims and the hillside inscription “God, Country, King” remain. The draw is the view over the bay, the port and the modern city. It is busiest, and best, in the hour before sunset. The road up is steep and winding; take a petit taxi.
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   Souk El Had

   Agadir’s great walled market, with around 6,000 stalls grouped by trade: fruit and vegetables, spices, olives, argan oil and amlou, clothes, household goods and a food area. It is where residents shop, not a show for visitors. It is closed on Mondays; mornings are the liveliest time.
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   Talborjt

   The district inland from the beach, rebuilt after the earthquake, is a grid of apartment blocks, shops and small restaurants where tagines simmer in rows outside the door. Come at lunchtime, when they are busiest, and eat where you see local customers.
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   Anza

   North of the port on the road to Taghazout, Anza is a working coastal district with a beach and a surf break. It is plainer than the main beach and far less polished, which is the point.
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   Agadir Marina

   At the northern end of the beach promenade, the marina has a yacht harbour lined with restaurants, cafés and shops. On warm evenings it fills with Agadir families and young people. Prices are higher than in Talborjt.
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   Inezgane

   A separate town just south of Agadir and the region’s main transport hub, with grand taxis and buses leaving for all of southern Morocco. Its market is large, loud and crowded, and sells clothes, shoes and household goods to traders and residents. Keep valuables out of reach in the crowds.

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   Grilled fish at the port

   Beside the fishing port, a row of simple grill restaurants cooks the catch over charcoal and serves it with bread, salad and sauce. Go at lunchtime, choose your fish from the display, and agree the price before it goes on the grill.
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   Souk El Had food stalls

   Inside the souk, stalls serve tagines, grilled kefta, harira and bessara (fava-bean soup), along with tafarnout, an Amazigh bread from the Souss. Eat at the communal tables with the traders.
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   Talborjt tagine restaurants

   Point at the pot you want: chicken with preserved lemon and olives, kefta with egg and tomato, fish, or lamb with prunes. It arrives bubbling, with a basket of bread. These places do not serve alcohol.
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   Breakfast: msemen and amlou

   Amlou, a paste of ground almonds, argan oil and honey, is the Souss breakfast spread. Eat it with msemen (flaky flatbread) or baghrir (semolina pancakes) and mint tea. Souk El Had sells jars of amlou to take home.

All of these are reachable by grand taxi or rental car from Agadir.

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   Taghazout

   A fishing village turned Morocco’s best-known surf town, north of Agadir along the coast road. The breaks around it, including Anchor Point, Hash Point, Killer Point and Panoramas, work best from autumn to spring. Non-surfers come for the rooftop cafés, the fish restaurants and an afternoon watching the surf. Shared grand taxis and local buses run from Agadir.
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   Paradise Valley

   A palm-lined river gorge in the foothills of the Atlas north-east of Agadir, on the road to Imouzzer des Ida Outanane, with rock pools for swimming. Bring water shoes, as the rocks are slippery, and a picnic. It is quieter on weekdays. The village of Imouzzer, further up the road, has a waterfall.
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   Tiznit

   A walled town about 90 km south of Agadir, known across Morocco for its Amazigh silver jewellery. The medina is compact and quiet, and the jewellers’ souk sits inside it. Shared grand taxis leave from Inezgane.
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   The Souss Valley

   East of Agadir towards Taroudant, the valley is farmland between the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas, with citrus groves, greenhouses and argan trees, which are native to south-western Morocco. Women’s cooperatives along the way press argan oil and sell it directly.

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   Valley of the Birds

   A small free park in the city centre, between the beach and the town, with aviaries, a few animal enclosures, shady paths and a playground. Allow under an hour; late afternoon is pleasant, when local families arrive.
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   Crocoparc

   A paid wildlife park opened in 2015 just south-east of Agadir on the N8, with more than 300 Nile crocodiles and landscaped botanical gardens, including a cactus garden. Allow a couple of hours.
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   The beach promenade

   The promenade runs the length of the main beach to the marina. It is free, and busiest after dark, when Agadir families come out to walk.

Prices change, so we do not list them. These habits keep you close to what residents pay:

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   Insist that petit taxis use the meter (“compteur”). Grand taxis run fixed shared routes; agree the fare before you get in if you hire the whole car.
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   Food and drink cost far less a few streets inland, in Talborjt or around Souk El Had, than on the beachfront.
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   Buy argan oil and amlou at Souk El Had or from a valley cooperative, and taste culinary argan before buying: good oil smells nutty and toasted.
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   At the port grills, agree the price for your fish before it is cooked.
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   Carry small notes and coins for the souk and street stalls.

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   Use Agadir as a base

   The beach is pleasant, but the region is the reason to stay longer: Taghazout, Paradise Valley, Tiznit, Taroudant and the Souss Valley are all within a day.
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   Plan around Monday

   Souk El Had closes every Monday. Go on another day, ideally in the morning.
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   Time Oufella for sunset

   Arrive half an hour or so before sunset. There are few facilities at the top, so bring water.
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   Eat lunch at the port

   The port grills are at their best at lunchtime, when the morning catch is on display.

Morning

Msemen with amlou and mint tea at a street stall, then a petit taxi to Souk El Had for the produce, spices and argan oil. Lunch at the food stalls inside the souk.

Afternoon

Grilled fish at the port, then Anza for a swim away from the resort strip, or a shady walk in the Valley of the Birds.

Evening

A taxi up to Agadir Oufella before sunset, then dinner at the marina or a tagine in Talborjt, and a walk on the promenade when it fills with families.