Agadir. Laid-back boulevards

Agadir is very different from any other city in Morocco. Built next to a tragedy – the earthquake of 1961 that killed 15,000 – it exhibits a totally different city culture and architecture from the rest of the country.

Agadir was, and continued to be a favourite tourist destination. So it is no wonder that it was the needs of tourists which more than any other thing made the street wide and straight, houses low and minimalistic and which placed hotels between the city and the beach.

Some people hate Agadir because there is very little that happens automatically here, while others find it all very attractive. One thing is definatly true: for every year that pass, streets become more and more lively, and more and more Moroccan elements move in where minimalist white houses before have dominated.

Agadir. The tremendous beach

OK! So Agadir might not be all that spectacular. And not all that Oriental, either. But as soon as you're down on the beach, it is easy for anyone to really enjoy the city. The beach is all about relaxing!
The beach is simply spectacular. It is clean, long, wide and there is a continuous breeze coming in from the Atlantic which makes it a pleasant place all through the day. The only drawbacks are the undercurrents, which can be strong and dangerous, and the temperatures which can be unpleasantly low in winter time.

Agadir. Modern streets

For many visitors, Agadir is too modern. For others, it is a functional, open and beautiful change from the more typical cities found all around Morocco: where vinding streets lead you past Arabic houses which sometimes thrive in luxury and somtimes scream out for repair.
There is a simple explanation to the differentness of Agadir. After the earth quake of 1961, the idea was that the newly independent country (since 1956) should prove that it belonged to the Western world just as much as the African and Muslim world — just like what had been the case through most of Morocco's history. Styles were mixed for the new city, and the hottest of European ideas of the functional city was implemented.

Agadir. Fish market

The fish market of Agadir has been turned into the surprise tourist attraction. The reason is simple enough: with the lack of typical tourist attractions in Agadir, all the tour operators throw in the fish market as an attraction. And impressed by its size and its vitality, the tour groupers take it in as a true gem.
Agadir is truly an important fish city, serving both African and European markets. The fisheries outside West Africa are rich, but there is a danger of the extinction of certain types of fish, where especially the Sardines are threatened by high tech fising vessels from the European Union.

Agadir. The kasbah

The kasbah of Agadir must be the worst sight of the country. Except from parts of the walls and the gate, there is nothing to attract anyone's interest. Yet, there are numerous bus loads coming up here, and watching all the tourists walk around the area wondering "what the heck is this good for?" would be your best entertainment.

There is only one great thing to find up here: the great view over Agadir. And this is is definately worth the 20 minute ascend by foot, or 3 minutes in a car.

Agadir. Talborjt at night

On the surface, Talborjt is a nice place to spend holiday evenings. But if you move your eyes away from multilingual waiters and tourists and Moroccan travellers rushing by, tragedy is sleeping on the benches, and dishonesty is entering and leaving the hotels.
One evening in December I saw this young man, sitting curled and bitter in a dark spot just metres away from one of the restaurants. Knowing how difficult life can be for young Moroccan these days, I felt that he embraced the dark side of Moroccan life. But he was all alone, and far away from any miracle in life.
The following day, while I was eating my open-air breakfast, a man in his 40's passed. He was making his living from selling cigarettes one by one. Just like the young man from the evening before, I had no problem seeing him as a successful person in any European country.
The two images really shock me up, and for a couple of minutes I felt the tears coming close to my eyes.

Agadir. Modern architecture

After the earthquake of Agadir in 1960, the young Moroccan authorities decided that a new version of the Arab world should be built in an area away from the old town.
European architects introduced wide boulevards, and the simle lines of the Arab house was mixed with modern Western architecture of the same period.

Agadir. The busy port

The port of Agadir has started to become somewhat of a tourist trap. The real reason is the startling change it represents from the rest of the tourist's Agadir, that starts just 200 metres from the port gates.
The port is a bustling affair, and thrives from the rich fisheries off the Moroccan Atlantic coast.