AGADIR

Agadir, a city of 600,000 residents, is known to be the closest seaside resort of Europe. The exceptional site of the city includes a beautiful bay, the sunniest in the world. 20 km of beach rejoice all year thousands of vacationers, even in winter. European city par excellence, Agadir has the largest hotel park Morocco.
Located between the peaks of the High Atlas, the Souss is an extremely fertile area called "orchard of Morocco". With vegetable and fruit crops in the eye, the Souss's main outlet international port of Agadir. No wonder the city has long been called "the port of the Souss" and is today the largest port in Morocco after Casablanca.
Almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake in February 1960, Agadir was rebuilt as a modern city plan. You've got it, do not go to Agadir to discover traditional Moroccan city, but rather to enjoy the beach and trips to the region, particularly in the Souss Massa National Park.

City History

Probably founded by the Berbers, Agadir immediately attracts sailors along its coast. Bay sheltered from the wind, fertile land and fresh water source (the "founty"), Agadir has it all. In 1505, the Portuguese established a trading post there and build a port.

In 1541, the Saadian Sultan Mohammed Sheikh, interested in Agadir strategic position to control the "Golden Road", captured the city. In the seventeenth century, Agadir is controlled by the Berbers.

In 1760, Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah Alawi is jealous of that port trade with Europe. He built the port of Essaouira a hundred kilometers north to divert European trade. It is a blow to Agadir and the city gradually depopulated. In the early twentieth century, the Agadir population is less than 1000 inhabitants.

The first half of the twentieth century saw the return of Agadir on the economic scene. Agriculture and fisheries allow the city to develop a major port. Canneries are built and Agadir became the first sardine port in the world. This business has also never ceased, Agadir today is the first fishing port in the country.

Unfortunately, February 29, 1960 at 11:47 p.m., the city was devastated by a massive earthquake that will make 15,000 dead. Almost all the houses are destroyed in seconds. The whole country is very moved and reconstruction of Agadir is a national challenge. Two years later, the city rising from the ashes ... in compliance with earthquake standards.

Map - Agadir

To visit : 

Souk El Had

It is the main place of supply of the inhabitants of Agadir for food, clothing, common equipment. There are also many craft items. On Saturday and Sunday, market days, Souk El Had took on larger dimensions.

The Souk is a big market, it has about 6000 small shops. It is surrounded by ramparts and has several entrances. It is organized in different sectors: furniture, handicrafts, clothing, vegetables, butchery, spices ... You can find little wonders, all kinds of traditional decorations. It is also a souk very frequented by the locals, the national visitors and the tourists. It is the most important commercial tourist attraction in the destination Agadir and throughout the region.

The Amazigh Museum

Located in the city center (avenue Hassan II), on the passage "Ait souss", the municipal museum of Amazigh heritage in Agadir or more commonly the Berber Museum is devoted to the memory of Berber heritage.This museum presents more than two hundred old pieces such as bracelets, earrings, rings, brooches and traditional Berber necklaces, but also carpets in orange tones and musical instruments of the region of Agadir. The emblem of the Municipal Museum of Amazigh Heritage of Agadir is embodied by the collar of MASSA which is exhibited in the room of the treasure.

Kasbah 

Kasbah of Agadir (named Agadir Oufella in tachelhit) is the most majestic site of the city. It is a fortress overlooking the city as well as the beach and culminating at a height of 236 meters. It overlooks the ocean at more than 216 m on the heights of Oufella, offering a magnificent panorama of the city, the bay and the hinterland. Agadir Oufella was erected in 1540 by Mohammed Ech-Sheikh, Moroccan king belonging to the Sadian dynasty. After conquering the city, the latter built these walls in order to protect themselves from possible invasions, especially Portuguese. After the earthquake of 1960, the fortifications were rebuilt on their old marks and only the entrance door was preserved to the authentic.

Jardin Olhao

This beautifully planted garden is located at President John Kennedy Avenue, it attests and celebrates the historical links between Morocco and Portugal via the twinning of the city of Agadir and that of Olhao a coastal city From the south of Portugal.

Spaces to relax, restaurant, boardwalk, and museum on the history of Agadir. This museum relates essentially the catastrophe, that was the earthquake of February 1960. Photographs show the buildings destroyed by the earthquake.

The Valley of the Birds

The Birds Valley covers 2.5 hectares of greenery in the heart of Agadir where bloom animals and plants. The Birds Valley is nestled in the bed of an old wadi and extends from downtown to the waterfront.

Banana trees, bougainvilleas, oleanders, magnolias, many species of exotic plants make it a true haven of peace and a graceful moment of walk for the whole family.

The stars of the zoo are the many exotic birds, but you can also admire magnificent specimens of mouflons, kangaroos, monkeys, goats, llamas, Ostriches.

Agadir Beach

The urban beach of Agadir is one of the most beautiful of Morocco and and one of the most westernized. It can be compared to other urban beaches such as the Costa del Sol, the Canary Islands, the Costa Brava or the Balearic Islands. The urban beach of Agadir is a beach equipped with many services, hammocks, parasols (included). Its sand is golden and its waters calm thanks to the bay of Agadir. It is surrounded by hotels and apartments and frequented by many tourists who come to seek rest, relaxation.

Today, Agadir is an important economic center, with its port. Second tourist city in Morocco after Marrakech.