Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE SOUSS VALLEY
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Agadir
POP 679,000
Agadir feels unlike anywhere else in Morocco. A busy port and beach resort sprawling be-
neath its kasbah, the city was completely rebuilt following a devastating earthquake in
1960. It is now the country's premier destination for sun, sand, pubs and pizza. Laid out as
a large grid of downtown streets, surrounded by spacious residential suburbs, Agadir's
concrete-covered inland quarters are ugly and sterile. However, the city hits its stride on the
beachfront promenade, where Moroccan street life comes with a refreshing sense of space.
Arching south of the shiny white marina, the sheltered sandy beach offers clean water and
300 sunny days a year.
Agadir caters mainly to package-tour holidaymakers, and will appeal less to independent
travellers with an interest in Moroccan culture. Families will also enjoy relaxing on the
beach and wandering around the handful of sights. If you do not have children in tow,
however, we recommend heading elsewhere to make the most of a visit to Morocco.
The city spreads over a large area, both along the coast and inland from the huge swath
of beach. From the northern end of the beach, near the marina and port, three parallel
streets - 20 Août, nearest the ocean, Mohammed V and Hassan II - run through the main
tourist area.
History
Named after the
agadir
(fortified granary) of the Irir tribe, Agadir has a long history of
boom and bust. It was founded in the 15th century by Portuguese merchants wanting to de-
velop trade links with the Saharan caravans. From the mid-16th century, as the Saadian em-
pire expanded, the port became prosperous from the export of local sugar, cotton and salt-
petre, and products from Saharan trade, which the Moroccans then controlled. But this
prosperity ended in the 1760s, when the Alawite sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdullah di-
verted the trade to Essaouira.
The French colonists went some way towards redeveloping Agadir in the 20th century,
but the earthquake on 29 February 1960 completely destroyed the city. As many as 18,000
