Agadir

We were on our way south from Spain to the Canary Islands and had experienced an “exciting” crossing of the Straits of Gibraltar with more than enough wind, large waves on the beam and a few huge container ships, so were glad to finally reach Agadir. The approaches to the harbour were guarded by erratic fishing boats and strings of unmarked fishing nets which we negotiated shortly after dawn. The buoyage was interesting. We were flummoxed by a buoy with the top painted green and the bottom red. The marina ignored our radio calls but some one was waiting on a pontoon and waved us to a berth.

buoy seen at the entrance to Agadir
strange colored Buoy, Agadir

Despite it being Saturday, customs, police and immigration were relatively quickly dealt with even though they had to copy all the information by hand. The marina had working water and electricity on the pontoons but was let down by a very “north african” toilet block. (We paid €18 a night for our 36 feet.) Around the marina are a selection of bars, restaurants and shops and, particularly at the weekend, it was very lively. The restaurant Pure Passion is well worth a visit with the best irish coffee I have ever drunk and tasty, well presented food. The Wifi from the restaurants nearly reached the boat.

It is not until you take a trip to the castle ruins (Oufellah) on the top of the mountain that you realize how huge the city is. The original city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1960 so there is no old town but rather a long sweeping beach backed by a thriving city. Taxis are very cheap but walking is a good way to stay fit and allows a better appreciation of the surroundings.

Agadir marina and castle
Agadir marina and castle

Everyone we dealt with was friendly and helpful. Most people spoke some English as well as French, Arabic and Berber but even those who only spoke French did their best to understand my schoolboy like attempts. The beach and promenade were nice places to enjoy the sun and the view was only ruined by fat white Europeans wearing ugly clothes. (Black skin tight short dresses don’t improve rolls of marbled fat.)

In summary, Agadir is a nice place to be”trapped” for a week in winter but I am sure it is not on my list of must see places.

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