Tag: Drink

Modern day Agadir

Agadir is a beautiful city, situated on the shore of the North Atlantic Ocean, in the shadow of the Atlas Mountains. The city is less populous than Marrakesh & as such is a lot more chilled out & not as fast paced.

Unfortunately it was hit with a deadly earthquake in 1960 & killed around a third of the people living there. It also destroyed a lot of the inadequately designed buildings & some of the historic sites, such as the Kasbah.

There is a lot to do & see in & around Agadir, however I didn’t do a whole lot of tourist activity as I just wanted a relaxing beach trip. But you can go to Markets, Jardins, the incredible Kasbah, quad biking in the desert, Paradise Valley, Crocopark & different cooking classes.

Whilst I was there during quiet season there was still a lot of locals & backpackers hunting you down for money etc. On my first day 2 French backpacking ladies approached me saying that they needed help but weren’t selling anything. Now usually when I am walking around, I am head down & not stopping to speak to anyone. However, at the risk of sound like a sexist pig, it has been a long time since 2 girls as pretty as that have smiled at me 😂. Whilst it is unwise to get into these types of situations, the devil in me did think if I get robbed I can always make more money. Out of nowhere 2 strapping French guys appeared, much bigger, stronger & mental looking then me, inviting themselves to stay in my hotel. I caught a sudden case of amnesia & forgot how to speak English & scuttled off. I would suggest avoiding the backpackers more than the street sellers!

Agadir has really cool cable car tours that take you up to the Kasbah Oufella, the centre piece of the city. Of course, when I say really cool, I actually mean bloody terrifying! It took all of my courage to go into them, however the experience was worth overcoming the fear! I do have a videos of me inside the cable cars, but they are are filled with vitriolic expletives & subsequently not appropriate for a family friendly blog. If there was a swear jar, I would have about 1,203,478 Dirhams by the end of the journey!

Tourist sites ☀️

Without a doubt the most stunning site to visit in Agadir is the Kasbah Oufella. It is perched on a mountain at over 200 metres above sea level, the remains of the Castle are captivating, but it is the view of the city & the mountains that make this a must visit! Important note; when you come to the castle entrance, it looks like you have to scan a QR code, set up an account & buy your tickets online. However, you can actually pay just inside the Castle doorway, just ask the guards. Whenever we see a queue of people outside trying to sign up for tickets, we automatically think someone must have already checked & you can’t buy tickets inside. But you can, cash or card, don’t bother with the QR code outside.

There are a couple of lovely Jardins that are worth a wander. Jardin Ibn Zaidoun & Jardin Olhao (although the opening times on this are very random so check ahead before visiting). The Agadir Amazigh Heritage Museum is pretty cool if you are interested in art. I went around in under 1 hour but it was only 40 Dirhams to enter. Then obviously anywhere along the beach is a must visit! I would recommend renting a deck chair/bed for the day. They only charge around 30 Dirhams & it is good value for money.

Where to eat? 🥘

In days gone by I have usually stuck to food I know & rarely ventured into new territory. However, I decided I was going to try anything & everything I came across. In most restaurants I visited the Moroccan section was loaded with different Tagines, therefor I decided I had to complete the Tagine circuit. I had a seafood tagine that had all sorts I had never tried, like Octopus, Shrimp & John Dory. I needed to give myself a pep talk before ordering it, but glad I did 🤠