12 Best Sights in The Southern Atlantic Coast, Morocco

Agadir's municipal museum celebrates the Amazigh heritage of the region with collections of photography, jewelry, artifacts, and local handicrafts, as well as temporary exhibits. It's worth a visit to learn about the symbolism seen in Amazigh carpets and jewelry; there's also information about the Igouder (plural of agadir, a communal granary) of the local villages. If you're lucky, an English-speaking intern may be on hand to guide you around.

The beach here swings around a crescent from southeast to northwest; you're more likely to find a quiet spot if you wander south, although be careful to avoid the private beaches of the resorts. The most crowded areas, frequented year-round by families and locals, are to the north. Along the flanking thoroughfare, known as the Corniche (promenade), are cafés, bars, and restaurants. At the very northern end is the swanky marina development where private yachts are moored. The promenade comes alive at dusk, when families and youngsters take their evening walks, but as night falls, it can become a little sketchy. Nonetheless, from the shelter of a café terrace, it's still a good spot to stop and watch the world go by. The northern tip is also the place to rent a Jet Ski, catamaran, or surf equipment. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: sunset.

During most of the year, a few stray Western surfers seek out waves around the bend from the lighthouse at Cap Rhir. There are no facilities, so it's ideal for those seeking a quiet sunset. You may come across a bald ibis in the area north of the lighthouse, which is said to be one of their nesting sites. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; sunset.

If you're looking for a more isolated and less developed excursion away from the beach, the waterfalls in the Ida Outanane Mountains, near Immouzer des Ida Outananeup, make an ideal day trip from Agadir, with many opportunities for walking and hiking. Check with locals—the waterfalls are often dry when the region is experiencing drought. On your way you'll pass through the palm gorge of Paradise Valley, where the rocky riverbank welcomes picnicking Moroccan families and foreigners alike. The Amazigh souk in Immouzer is on Thursday and is a great place to buy local honey. To get here by car from Aourir (12 km [7 miles] north of Agadir), take the paved road 50 km (31 miles) up into the mountains. 

High up on the hill to the northwest that looks over Agadir are the few ruins of the old kasbah, the main site of Agadir until an earthquake razed the city in 1960. The devastating earthquake created the opportunity for the development of modern Agadir, which stands today to the south. Although there is little to see here of the former city, the panoramas are breathtaking, especially at sunset. The only way to get here is to take a bus with ALSA, the public transportation company, from the parking lot at the foot of the mountain. The bus leaves every 20 minutes from 8 am to 9:30 pm (8:30 pm on Saturdays) and costs 4 DH each way. 

Emblazoned on the side of the hill below the kasbah are three Arabic words that keep guard over Agadir at all times. Their meaning? God, country, and the king. By day they're a patchwork of huge white stones against the green grass. At night they're lighted up powerfully against the dark. The huge hill is really a burial mound, covering the old medina and the impromptu graves of those who died in the earthquake.

This combination ethnological museum and bazaar is the dream of Moroccan-born Italian decorator-architect Coco Polizzi, who wanted to replace the medina Agadir lost to the 1960 earthquake with a new one on his own land. Located in Ben Sergao, a few miles south of Agadir, on the Inezgane road, the remarkable 13-acre project was completed in 2007 by hundreds of Moroccan craftspeople who used centuries-old techniques. Each stone was laid by hand, and the buildings are made of earth, rock from the Souss, slate from the High Atlas, and local woods such as thuya and eucalyptus. Decorations follow both Amazigh and Saharan motifs. You can find a few mosaic craftspeople, painters, jewelers, metalworkers, and carpenters in workshop nooks throughout the medina. The medina also houses a restaurant, shops, and even an amphitheater. Grands taxis to the medina from Agadir cost around 100 DH round-trip.

In the northeastern corner of the city, this daily bazaar sells souvenirs, household goods, and the produce of the fertile Souss plains. It's one of the biggest in Morocco, and you'll need to bargain hard. The souk is a great place to witness and participate in real Moroccan life. 

This sprawling, 338-square-km (131-square-mile) national park on the coast south of Agadir is a breeding ground for a number of indigenous and migratory bird species, including the bald ibis. There are also captive-breeding programs for four threatened North African antelope and gazelle species, as well as for ostriches, which were previously extinct in Morocco since 1945. Tours are available within the park, which also contains a number of guesthouses and other accommodation options. Many of these support sustainable tourism and offer bird- and animal-watching excursions. One entry point for the park is 15 km (9 miles) south of Agadir at Rokein information center; the other is 60 km (37 miles) south of Agadir at the Sidi Binzarne eco-guide kiosk.

This is the area to visit if you want to tackle some of Morocco's best surfing, though you probably won't be alone. In summer the beaches on the Essaouira road—especially those in the rapidly expanding Taghazout area 20 km (12 miles) north of Agadir—are crammed with Moroccan families (who often camp there). Catering to their needs is a range of cafés, hostels, and rental apartments. While Taghazout village still feels like a rough-and-ready surfers' frontier town, the area just south, called Taghazout Bay, is being developed with luxury and family resorts in the hopes of attracting a more upmarket clientele. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: sunset, surfing; swimming.

Smaller, less developed, and with much more of a local vibe, Tamraght is the laid-back little sibling of Taghazout. It spills down the side of a mountain toward the national coastal road and has a beautiful, spacious beach. New hotel and upscale vacation villa developments have begun to spring up, but there's still a natural feel to the coastline, where a new foot and bike path of about 5 km (3 miles) leads directly into Taghazout. You can stay in surf houses, private apartments, and small boutique hotels, enjoying the quiet nights and the sound of the rushing ocean. The area is 15 km (9 miles) north of Agadir. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming.

It's not so much a valley as a pleasure garden connecting Avenue Hassan II to the beach. The garden has not only birds but also monkeys, fountains, and lovely green surroundings. Very popular with Moroccan families and young couples as well as tourists, it makes for a pleasant stroll between downtown and the beachfront.