Essaouira or Agadir for the coast?

These two coastal towns attract completely different travellers, so the choice is really about what 'the coast' means to you. Essaouira is the one I personally adore — a compact, ramparted Portuguese-era medina opening onto a working fishing port, with seagulls wheeling over fresh-grilled sardines and a creative, slightly hippie energy. It's windy (kitesurfers love it, sunbathers less so) but utterly atmospheric and easy to combine with Marrakech as a two-night escape.

Agadir is a different animal entirely: largely rebuilt after the 1960 earthquake, it's a modern resort city with a long, gently curving beach, dependable sunshine, and the kind of big international hotels and calm swimming that families and pure beach-holiday people want. It has little old-town character, but if your goal is simply to lie on warm sand and dip in the sea without wind whipping it up, Agadir delivers that far better than Essaouira does.

I'm honest with clients about the wind, because it surprises people. Essaouira's afternoon breeze is constant — wonderful for walking the ramparts and watching the surf, frustrating if you'd hoped to nap on the beach. Agadir's bay is more sheltered and the water warmer for swimming. On the flip side, Essaouira's food, galleries, and medina wandering give you something to do beyond the sand; Agadir is more about the resort itself.

So: come to Essaouira for culture, seafood, and seaside soul on a short trip from Marrakech. Choose Agadir for a relaxed, sun-sure beach base, especially with kids or if you want a proper swim. Both are valid — they just answer different holidays.