72 Hours in Agadir: What To See & Do

This post will share how to spend 72 hours in Agadir, Morocco.

For my thirty-fourth country and my second trip of the year, I headed down to Agadir, Morocco.

It was my first time on the African continent in seven years, and this time I went with my brothers.

Inasmuch as I love my solo trips, I decided to take my African trips with my brothers.

I’ve heard so many stories, and I’d rather be safe than sorry.

If I did eventually enjoy the countries or feel safe enough, then I would return solo.

Since I planned the trip from start to finish, including an itinerary based on my interests, I like to think of it as more mine and less theirs.

The trip was definitely a challenge because I had to readjust to certain things.

Travelling within my comfort zone over the last couple of years has made me a bit complacent, which means I get annoyed at things I ordinarily wouldn’t.

Anyway, this was an interesting trip, and I’m happy to share the details.

Here’s How To Spend 72 Hours In Agadir

Agadir is the coastal capital city in Souss-Massa, a region in Morocco in North Africa.

Most people are familiar with Marrakesh, the capital of the Marrakesh-Safi region and one of Morocco’s four imperial cities.

It goes without saying that Marrakesh is much more iconic, but we wanted a beach gateway, so we went with Agadir.

This turned out to be a bit pointless because the sea was still cold.

Regardless, we got a bit of sunshine during the day.

Flights

We booked a package with EasyJet Holidays.

It turned out to be much easier and less stressful to plan for the three of us.

Also, we could just split the total cost between the three of us, which is what we did.

I booked the trip in September during one of those EasyJet Big Orange Sales, which gave me £100 off, and then I paid a deposit.

We paid up the rest in February, about seven days before the trip was due.

I’ve used EasyJet Holidays before for my trip to Rhodes, so I was very familiar with the entire process, which I found very seamless, hence I had to rebook again.

Also, compared to other package companies, I find their prices reasonable, especially if you get £50/100 off during their Big Orange Sale.

Airport Transfer

Our package included private transfers to and from the airport.

I remember the difference between shared and private transfers wasn’t that much, so I just went with private.

After we arrived and passed through security, we waited a bit for our private driver, but he eventually arrived and drove us to our hotel, about 30 minutes away.

For our return trip, I was given a QR code with a link that showed our pickup time from the hotel.

This was available 24 hours before our flight.

They also sent a text message as confirmation.

The driver arrived promptly and took us to the airport in around 25 minutes, leaving us with more than enough time to spare at the gate.

Accommodation

We stayed in the Tildi Hotel & Spa as part of our package.

I wanted to make this trip as affordable as possible for my brothers, so I went a little below my standards, which I ended up regretting.

Granted, I wanted a hotel with a spa and a Turkish Hammam that is within walking distance to the beach.

For our budget, the hotel was perfect, so there were no issues on paper.

But in reality, I felt like I was catfished.

Despite the size, the hotel felt dated, and if there’s one thing I absolutely detest, it is dated hotels.

Hotel Review

Anyway, we booked three separate rooms for the three of us.

One had a side sea view combined with an incredible view of the Agadir Oufella fortress, which the other two also had.

The views were stunning; the alternative would have been a mundane street view, so I didn’t mind them at all.

Also, one had a full balcony with chairs, while the other two had only French balconies on which you could stand.

Again, I didn’t mind this at all, since we had a full itinerary and could still open the doors to let in fresh air.

We paid for breakfast, which was quite underwhelming; I like to think the limited options were due to Ramadan.

We ate out for dinner every night, so we didn’t have to use the on-site restaurant.

My biggest gripe was the bathrooms.

Despite it being adequately spacious, the limescale on the fittings was driving me crazy.

Coupled with the mould in the shower grout, I avoid staying in the bathroom more than I need to.

I understand the water in Agadir is very hard, hence the limescale, but there has to be a way around it.

I specifically used Mr Sheen Multi-Surface Polish on my bathroom fittings, as well as Johnson’s Baby Oil for that extra shine.

So imagine having to use limescale-clad fittings everywhere, including the spa.

This was enough to turn me off completely.

To add to it, the TV and WiFi barely worked, and there were no tea-making facilities in the room.

The only thing going for the room was its spaciousness.

The single room would command double or family prices in Europe.

The single room was easily the biggest single room I’ve ever stayed in.

When I do return to Agadir, I definitely will not be returning to this hotel.

What To Pack For Agadir In March

I did have a bit of a challenge packing for this trip.

It was my first time visiting an Islamic country during Ramadan, and I wanted to dress accordingly.

After going back and forth, I settled on a packing list that worked well.

For the day, which was usually between 21 and 22 degrees, I stuck with breathable fabrics such as linen and cotton.

For our activities, I stuck to knee-length linen Bermuda shorts, a cropped vest, and a cotton or linen shirt as a cover-up.

At night, the temperature dropped to around 15-16 degrees, and the wind from the sea made it even cooler, so I pulled a shawl over my linen shirt and trousers.

I wore a couple of lightweight midi dresses to breakfast and for the spa.

Basically, I wore my Summer wardrobe without the shorts, which I swapped for a pair of knee-length shorts, which definitely felt a lot more modest.

I invested in a few staple linen pieces in neutral colours a few years ago, and I just mix and match them every year.

Public Transportation in Agadir

Thankfully, we don’t need to use public transportation until our last day because all our attractions offer pickup and drop-off options.

The one time we tried to get the bus to the Souk El Had, the bus stop was quite a distance from our hotel, so we just took a taxi instead.

One thing you need to know is that taxis are as common as buses for public transportation.

Basically, everyone, including locals, takes taxis.

The taxis are called ‘Petit Taxis’ and are red, making them immediately very noticeable.

Unlike Uber, you can’t prepay or book via an app; you would have to hail them in the street and tell them your destination.

Petit Taxis are legally required to use meters, so avoid agreeing to a flat price upfront with the driver.

They mostly do that to scam tourists.

Just hail a taxi, tell him your destination and point to the meter when you get in.

This way, you pay the actual rather than the inflated price for the journey.

Unfortunately, we negotiated a flat rate upfront, so we overpaid for the trip.

What To Eat In Agadir

Unfortunately, we visited during Ramadan, which meant we had limited meal options.

We paid for breakfast at the hotel, which saved us a lot of stress in the mornings.

Before the trip, I used Google Maps to search for restaurants about a 15-minute walk from our hotel and saved them.

I saved two restaurants, and we ended up visiting them twice for all four nights.

It was so stressful trying to find where to eat because Google Maps wasn’t updated with Ramadan hours.

So a restaurant could be open, and you get there, and it’s closed.

There were a handful of restaurants open along the Promenade, so it’s worth walking around to see what they offer.

72 Hours In Agadir: Activities & Experiences

Spending 72 Hours in Agadir meant we had only three full days for activities, as our flight times ate into our travel days, leaving no room for anything else.

Visiting a Northern African country for the first time meant that there were certain things we wanted to experience and get out of the way.

So we did that first.

While planning, I realised that there were just so many things I wanted to do, particularly day trips.

I had to limit them and keep them for my next trip, as I didn’t want the itinerary to be too packed.

Here’s what we did.

Day 1 – Paradise Valley, Atlas Mountains

For our first day, we booked a Paradise Valley Atlas Mountains tour via GetYourGuide.

While doing my research, I found out this was one of the essential tours to do in Agadir.

So we were picked up at 8:30 from our hotel to join the rest of the small group.

Naturally, we picked up a couple of people along the way and made our way to the Paradise Valley.

The drive was around 30-45 minutes, and the views en route were honestly stunning.

As the name suggests, Paradise Valley is simply a valley in the north of Agadir known for its broad biodiversity, including palm, banana, olive and fig trees.

It reminds me of some of the tours I took in Iceland.

Most of the time, the best part of a city is its outskirts.

When we arrived, we joined the larger group and hiked to the top of the valley, which took about 30 minutes.

When we got to the centre of the valley, we were given an hour to relax, swim or just grab some fresh fruit juice.

As always, some people did swim, but I was not prepared for the fact that we just sunbathed while people-watching.

When we were done, we took the same route back to the entrance, and everyone went to their respective vehicles.

botanical garden

On our way back to Agadir, we made a quick stop at a Botanical Garden, where we were shown some herbs and plants grown and harvested for cosmetics.

We were shown the Argan tree and how Argan Oil was made by hand.

After the quick tour, we were led to the mini store where you could purchase the handmade cosmetics.

I got some Argan Oil, Lavender Soap and Rosewater to support them.

When we were done, we drove back to Agadir and were dropped just off our hotel.

Day 1.2 – Sauna & BEACH

By this time, we were exhausted, so we went to grab something to eat.

In the meantime, I headed down to the spa to enquire about the Turkish Hamman.

There was a bit of a language barrier as the attendant didn’t speak English, so I ended up paying for a classic sauna, which costs around 150 dirhams for 25 minutes.

This was definitely not worth it for me because I typically spend £5 for a full day’s access to the sauna here in Salford.

Anyway, after expressing my disappointment, I eventually spoke to another attendant who could speak English, and she managed to rebook me for the Classic Hamman with Traditional Body Scrub.

While that was settled, we made our way down to the beach, which was about a ten-minute walk from the hotel.

Unfortunately, the water was cold, so it wasn’t as enjoyable as it should have been.

I didn’t feel bad because I didn’t want the mess that came with a sandy beach.

In the end, we settled on a Middle Eastern restaurant for dinner whilst watching the sun set.

Day 2 – Quad Bike & Camel Ride

For our second day in Agadir, we booked a Desert & Beach Quad Adventure with Camel Ride via GetYourGuide.

Rather than an early-morning start, I picked an 11 am start because there was no reason we should have a packed itinerary.

First things first, we headed downstairs to grab breakfast, which was decent and nothing to write home about, aside from maybe the cakes.

After which, we got ready for our pickup.

For this tour, we’re fewer than ten in total, so it felt somewhat cosy.

RIDING TEST

We arrived at our starting point in the afternoon for an initial test on the Quad bikes.

Thankfully, I failed the test, so I got to join my brother as a passenger.

After the testing, we were given refreshments of tea and cookies in a makeshift reception of sorts.

After the last batch of people returned, we were ready to go, armed with helmets and goggles.

Then we were each assigned a quad bike.

A couple of us shared, so in total, our set was about 4-5 quad bikes.

After the assignment, we were just told to follow our instructor in a single file.

Honestly, this felt quite scary at first.

I can’t believe we were just allowed to drive the quad onto the road just like that.

Thankfully, it was mostly safe, with barely any human or vehicle traffic aside from the occasional one.

We followed a route from the road into a wasteland, then into the desert.

It was pretty straightforward as long as we followed the tour guide correctly.

At different points, my brother and I were lagging behind, so the team had to wait for us until we caught up.

This really helped with my anxiety.

When we reached the desert, we drove to our stopping point, where we could take photos and relax.

Again, we were offered Moroccan Tea and cookies while we took turns camel riding and/or sandboarding.

CAMEL RIDING

Riding camels was an experience as well.

Aside from the initial jolt when embarking and disembarking, the short ride was quite lovely.

Despite the camel guide not speaking English, he knew when and how to take photos, which was everything we could ask for.

After such a stunning day, it was time to return to the base.

We took the same route back and dropped off our helmets and goggles.

Then we hopped on the bus and made our way back to Agadir.

Day 2.2 – Agadir Oufella & Cable Car

When we reached our hotel, we realised that the Danialand cable car to the Agadir Oufella fortress would be closed for maintenance the next day.

So we took a ten-minute walk to catch the cable car before it closed.

Thankfully, we were able to grab some return tickets at the reception.

Then we joined the queue to wait for a cable car to return to take us back up.

The cable car could seat eight people in total, and the journey took around eight minutes.

It was my first time on a cable car, so I felt a bit squeamish and couldn’t wait to get off, but the views were honestly so stunning that they made up for it.

Unfortunately, Danialand, the cable car station, closed at 5 pm, so we had only about 45 minutes to explore the Agadir Oufella fortress.

The aerial views from the fortress were honestly unreal despite the smells, which I think were from the camels.

You could do a camel ride in the exteriors, but I don’t think it’s worth it.

It’s so much better in the desert.

You could also grab a few souvenirs, but we just stuck to soaking up the views in the limited time we had before heading back.

Day 3 – Moroccan Hamman

For our final full day in Agadir, we decided not to do anything too crazy and just headed to the Souk El Had, the largest indoor market in Africa.

But before then, I had my Moroccan Hamman appointment, which got me scrubbed down from head to toe.

It was honestly so worth it, and I wish I had time for the full package, which included the Hamman, Body Scrub, Ghassoul Body Wrap & Massage.

Anyway, they would be at the top of my list when I return.

My appointment was at 1:30, so we had a lie-in after breakfast.

Souk El Had

After the Hamman, we headed down to the Souk El Had market.

We took a Petit Taxi, which we overpaid for because we agreed on a flat rate rather than the metered rate.

The journey took around 15 minutes from our hotel.

Visiting the market was honestly one of the most overstimulating experiences we had on the trip.

This was a large indoor market with around 12 gates/entrances selling a wide range of foodstuffs, clothing, household goods, spices, leather goods, etc.

After going around in circles for a bit, we did eventually find our way around things.

• Gate 6 was the main gateway/entrance, where our taxi dropped us off. It’s the primary hub and the most crowded.
• Gate 7 was the entrance to the artisanal section, which featured leather goods, woodwork, traditional Berber jewellery, and metal lanterns.
• Gate 9 was the entrance to the spices and traditional pharmacies.
• Gates 11 & 12 were for fresh produce and food.

In hindsight, we started at Gate 6, went to Gate 1, then returned to Gate 9 and left from Gate 12.

It definitely felt like walking in a maze.

At the end, I was able to get a couple of Moroccan souvenirs, including fridge magnets, purses, pashminas for my friend and some tea.

We were also famished from all the walking, so we picked up some bananas, strawberries, and fresh ginger from the produce section to take home.

Unfortunately, we ran out of our budgeted cash, so we took the Petit Taxi back to the hotel with the change we had.

After which we grabbed dinner, watched the sunset for the last time and retired for the night.

Quick Tips

• Agadir is still predominantly a cash-based society, so always carry cash. At the airport, on your way out of arrivals, there’s a cash machine. You can withdraw some cash to tide you over until you find a cash machine near your hotel. I withdrew 400 dirhams as I didn’t want to carry too much cash at a time. You’ll need cash to pay for little items in souvenir shops, in the Souk El Had and for taxis. Restaurants still take card which is good.
• Visiting during Ramadan meant almost everything was closed, but it was honestly still so quiet, which I loved. We could stand in the middle of the streets at night with no vehicles. While many things would be closed, some will still be open. There’s also a case of odd opening and closing times, so don’t rely on Google Maps.
• Agadir in March is nice and sunny during the day and cool and windy at night. The daytime temperature always feels hotter than it actually is, so ensure you come prepared with sunscreen and a sun hat. My brother didn’t wear sunscreen, relied on a baseball hat, and got burned. At night, make sure you bring a scarf, cardigan, hoodie, or jacket, as it gets really windy, especially if you’re walking around the beach.
• Speaking of the beach, it is sandy and free for the most part. There’s an elevated area to sit along the promenade if you don’t want to deal with sand. So enjoy it as much as you can. The coastline is long, so there’s enough space for everybody.
• You’ll probably notice the police patrolling, especially around the beach. For the most part, it gives you a sense of security, so there’s nothing much to worry about.
• Avoid using ATMs in ‘convenient’ areas like your hotel, unless absolutely necessary. Try to find ATMs affiliated with banks. They tend to have better rates.
• Finally, haggle as much as you can in the Souk El Had market. If they don’t want to bulge, always try another seller. Multiple stores sell the same thing.

In Conclusion,

Spending 72 hours in Agadir was nearly not enough.

There was just so much to do that I had to keep my itinerary lean.

As a result, I’ll definitely be returning, as it is the perfect winter sun destination.