Restaurants, Hotels, Property in Morocco - Justgo Morocco

Agadir is a city in southwest Morocco, capital of the Souss-Massa-Dra region. It is a great starting point to get your bearings and relax before travelling into the Sahara Desert and nearby villages including Taroudant, Tiznit, Tafraout and wind-swept Essouira.

Agadir isn't a typical Moroccan town. It is recently modern and most of Agadir was constructed in the last part of the last century after most of it, almost three quarters was destroyed in 1960. Almost 15,000 people died in an earthquake that lasted just 15 seconds and was regarding as one of the most devastating in modern history due to the fact that it really did raise to the ground most of the buildings. Due to this it really is quite different to the rest of Morocco. 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 kilometres south of the earthquake epicentre. Thankfully the centre of the city has been moved in reconstruction away from the dangerous epicentre.

If you are looking for the typical Morocco, a walk back in time and a feel for the traditional way of life and culture then Agadir isn’t the best of destinations. It is very modern in comparison to most of Morocco and although it is starting to metamorphose into the Morocco of its surroundings it may be too modern for most.

The benefits are that the layout is more comfortable and familiar. In a bid to appear more western for a country finding its feet after gaining independence in the 1950´s, Agadir included western design styles in much of its architecture and planning. The hotels are all lined along the beach, which is great for tourists who want a nice beach-relaxing holiday. The hospitals are modern and well equipped as well.

The beach in Agadir is really the best tourist attraction. It is long, wide and covered in beautiful, clean sand. It is very quiet and relaxing and there is a lovely fresh wind that normally blows from the Atlantic Ocean to keep you cool. It is a great place to chill out and take time out. You may want to get local and reliable information regarding the sea in that are as the undercurrents can be very strong.

Agadir is a very important fishing city for Morocco and Europe as well. The fish market there is quite impressive due to the size of the place and the local tour guides seem to be making the most of this factor as they include it in the itinerary. I guess that due to the lack of other real tourist attractions they need to try and fit in anything to keep the tourists happy that they are getting to see the “real” Agadir.

The Souks of Inezgane
(Approx. 10 km south of Agadir). You can get to know the real life of the Berbers in the small Berber town of Inezgane. It is well known for its souks and silver jewellery, as well as for its vegetable, fruit, and spices. The market is open on Tuesdays. The local people come from all the surroundings areas and villages to sell their goods, and buy provisions for the week. You can get there by cab which is probably the best option if you don’t have a car.

Taghazout
(About 18 kilometres north of Agadir) Taghazout sits between the countryside of the Berbers and the Atlantic Ocean. Taghazout, pronounced “Tarazoot” is home to about 5,000 Berbers and offers a chance to get to know how these people live in a manner that hasn’t changed for thousands of years. A haven for new age hippies to take a respite and for new age surfers to catch some waves. It is a little fishing village and if fish is your favourite plate then you will be richly rewarded with the freshest of fish caught locally off the Moroccan shores.

Tiznit
(90 km south of Agadir) Tiznit is a city in southern Morocco, founded in 1881 by the sultan Hassan I. It has a population of approximately 50,000. It is a lively young city which only really boomed about 100 years ago. The story goes that a prostitute who turned to religion and became a holy woman is the patroness. Even though it is trying to be a traditional Moroccan city it doesn’t quite make it and all in all it is still modernistic in a way with few ornaments, walls that are too straight, and everything too proper.

Every Thursday the souk comes alive Tiznit and it is probably the largest market within miles. This is one of the real souks in Morocco and you will really get a feel for how markets in real Morocco operate and understand that they are an essential part of life for these people and not just a tourist attraction for visitors. The souk in Tiznit is amongst the best places to buy everything from new clothes to vegetables and makes this place a treasure.

Oasis settlement with typical town formation for a Sahara edge settlement. These reward Souks in which beautiful silver jewellery work is offered for a visit. Market day is Thursday.

Taroudannt
(81 km eastern of Agadir) Taroudant is known as the "Grandmother of Marrakech" or “Little Marrakech”. It is situated east from Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and south from Marrakech. It is a mainly Berber town with about 30,000 inhabitants. If you want to get a look and feel for the culture and tradition of Morocco then this is the place to visit as it really is almost untouched. One of the reasons for this is the French didn’t have much of an impact on this town when they colonised Morocco.

It has the feel of a small market town on some caravan route but the souks for instance don’t actually sell much of the traditional wares and instead are geared towards serving the tourist with their usual holiday rot. You can take a trip around the entire town by walking, or taking a horse and carriage, from the top of the wall as they are so strong and wide. Unlike Marrakech, Taroudant contains almost the whole city within its walls.