How many days do I need in Agadir and the southern coast?

Agadir is a different proposition from the rest of Morocco, and that shapes the answer. Rebuilt entirely after a 1960 earthquake, it has little historic medina to speak of — it is a modern Atlantic beach resort with a long sweep of sand, a tidy marina, reliable sunshine and a holiday rather than heritage atmosphere. If you are here for culture, half a day covers Agadir itself; if you are here for the beach and the coast, two to four days flows easily.

In the town, a single day is enough: the wide promenade and beach, the marina, the rebuilt kasbah hilltop with its panoramic view and the souk. Agadir works best not as a sightseeing city but as a comfortable base for sun, sea and the activities along the surrounding coast. So I gauge the number of days by what you want to do nearby rather than by the city itself, which you will exhaust quickly.

The surrounding area is where the days add up nicely. Just north, Taghazout has become one of Africa's premier surf towns, with a string of breaks, surf schools and a laid-back beach-village vibe; the freshwater pools and palm gorge of Paradise Valley in the foothills make a gorgeous day out; and inland, the walled red-earth town of Taroudant offers a calmer, more authentic taste of southern Morocco. Each of these is worth a day, so a surf-and-relax trip can comfortably run three or four days.

My honest steer: if your trip is about Morocco's culture, deserts and imperial cities, Agadir is skippable or a brief sun-stop at most. If you want a few days of beach, surf and slow coastal life — perhaps to bookend a busier itinerary — then two to four days here is a lovely decompression. Match the duration to the purpose, and do not expect Agadir to deliver the medieval-Morocco magic; that lives elsewhere.