What is there to see in Agadir town centre?

Agadir is not an old city in the way Fes or Marrakech are. An earthquake destroyed it in 1960, and the town was rebuilt on a new plan with strict seismic standards, wide avenues and separate zones for tourism, administration and housing. That shapes what you will find in the centre: comfortable, walkable and orderly, but without a historic medina to explore. Most visitors treat the centre as a base for the beach and for day trips, and spend a day or two seeing what the town itself offers.

The beach is the heart of it. It runs for more than 10 km along the bay, backed by a seafront promenade lined with cafés and restaurants that fills up in the late afternoon and evening. At the northern end, the port has a marina for pleasure boats with a waterfront of shops and restaurants, and beyond it the working fishing port, which supplies the fish grills nearby. The fishing harbour is a reminder that Agadir is one of the country's most important fishing ports.

Inland from the seafront, the Souk El Had is the city's great market, selling fruit and vegetables, spices, household goods, clothes and crafts. It is a working market used by local people rather than a souvenir street, so it is a good place to see everyday Agadir. The Talborjt district, rebuilt away from the old one destroyed in 1960, is the liveliest residential quarter in the centre, with the Mohammed V mosque and the Olhão garden, named after Agadir's twin town in Portugal, which holds a small memorial museum about the earthquake.

Above the port, on its ridge, are the remains of the kasbah known as Agadir Oufella, a fortress first built in the 16th century and ruined in the earthquake. Little survives beyond its walls, but the hilltop gives the widest view over the bay, the port and the city, best in the late afternoon. Agadir also has a tourist cable car, which opened in October 2022; check locally where it runs and its hours.

Because the centre is spread out and modern, most people combine it with the coast to the north, where Taghazout and the beaches towards Essaouira are known for surfing, or with trips inland. As a stay, the centre suits travellers who want the beach and easy restaurants within walking distance, rather than a traditional riad experience.