agadir Archives - ResponsiBo Travel

Morocco Animal Aid – putting the welfare of animals first

May 20, 2020

by Bo with No Comment Beautiful People Morocco Responsible Travel

During my time in Morocco, I decided I wanted to do something for the stray animals of Morocco. While traveling, you often encounter sick and hurt animals but there is not much you can do about it. Now that I was staying at one place, nearby an animal shelter, I decided it was time for me to start volunteering for the animals. This nearby shelter is called Morocco Animal Aid and I will tell you more about them in this blog.

Who are they?

MAA is a small non-profit organisation based near Aourir (Assersif) at the Atlantic coast of Morocco. They vaccinate, treat and feed the dogs, cats, donkeys etc. in the surrounding area and are home to over 120 animals on their land. They make sure that all the animals get the help they need and try to put them up for adoption when they are ready. Some dogs are lucky to find a home outside Morocco and MAA helps them to get to their new homes.

They often encounter dangerous situations like dogs with rabies, but they still take the risks in order to make the Agadir area a safe, rabies free environment. By castrating and sterilizing the dogs and cats they can fight the number of stray animals in the future. They use their Instagram and Facebook account to raise awareness on the problems in the Agadir area regarding stray animals and try to fight the slaughtering of the animals by local people. By vaccinating as many animals as possible and giving them a visible ear tag, they hope to fight the slaughtering and show that these animals are not dangerous to people.

My experience with MAA

As I already said above, during my time in Agadir I wanted to volunteer for the stray animals in Agadir. After some Googling I stumbled upon Morocco Animal Aid and I immediately fell in love with their animals and their work. After contacting them it became clear that they could really use help in hiking with the dogs. As I only had the weekends off, this was perfect for me as I could still help them out! Hiking with the dogs only takes around 2 hours and is a great experience and workout at the same time.

Imagine holding one, two or three dogs and going up and down the mountains. I have learned to not overestimate my strength as this is definitely not the same as walking a dog in the flat flat Netherlands. These dogs are happy to be out, full of energy and very very strong, so walking these dogs is definitely a good exercise haha!

To be honest, it felt absolutely amazing to be part of such an amazing initiative. You can really make a difference to the people working there full time and of course to the animals. I am so inspired and amazed by the woman who set everything up. She left Australia for Morocco and started this animal organisation about 4 years ago. To leave your life behind and start doing something so good for the world, I really think that is beautiful!

Of course, unfortunately, it does not always turn out well and they lose animals like dogs, cats or donkeys, but at least you know that these animals died while they were fully loved by the people of Morocco Animal Aid. Because that is what they do, they love and show love to every single one of the animals.

MAA in COVID-19 quarantine

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 has also reached Morocco, which caused the country to go in a full lockdown since half March, and it got extended to June 10.. For Morocco Animal Aid this is absolutely devastating as almost all of their volunteers had to leave Morocco and go home. Vets are now often closed and animals cannot get the help they need. The people at the shelters work day and night to make sure that the animals will survive. Unfortunately, they recently also lost a lot of puppies to the Parvo disease..

What can you do?

As a rather small organization but with many animals, they are dependent on donations and help by people like you! If you are in the Agadir region (Agadir, Taghazout, Tamraght, Aourir), you can help them out by going for a hike with the dogs, as they do not have time and volunteers enough to walk with every single dog. Right now, the dogs go out for a hike once a week, which is of course not enough!

Hiking with the dogs

Going for hikes is really something beautiful. You can see the energy of the dogs and how much they love to go outside and explore the area. The shelter is located near some nice mountains where you can hike to the top for a beautiful view over Aourir and the sea. It is crazy to think that a simple thing like walking a dog can have such a big impact on an organisation like this and its animals.

Bringing supplies

If you are in the Agadir region but you do not have time to go for a hike, you can also donate for instance your old towels. With this many animals, there is always a need for new materials like warm towels. Of course, you can also buy them food or cookies or other supplies!

Donations

One of the most important things they need to help out these poor animals is of course money. As they are dependent on donations and going to the vet for treatments is often expensive, they can use all the financial help they can get. So if you do not have time or you cannot help the animals physically, you can also choose to donate an amount of money.

Here are some useful links:

https://donorbox.org/morocco-animal-aid

https://www.gofundme.com/f/MoroccoAA

Donate@moroccoanimalaid.com – Email

www.moroccoanimalaid.com

Adopt, don’t shop!

Last but not least, if you love dogs as much as I do and you have some space left in your house and time left in your life, you can also choose to adopt one of these cute babies! Remember that by adoption, you can save a life and give the animal the best life he or she could ever wish for. I know for sure that once I have a house and a steady life, I will come back to Morocco…

Follow MAA on their socials and check out their website for more information on how you can help!

@moroccoanimalaid – Instagram

https://donorbox.org/morocco-animal-aid

https://www.gofundme.com/f/MoroccoAA

Donate@moroccoanimalaid.com – Email

www.moroccoanimalaid.com

If you have some questions about Morocco Animal Aid or other remarks, please leave a comment or contact me!

An overnight in Legzira, Morocco

March 11, 2020

by Bo with No Comment Morocco

This beach was already on my Morocco bucket list for a very long time. In the beginning of March 2020 I finally had to chance to go and all my (high) expectations were met! Legzira is a small town famous for its beach and is located south of Agadir, close to the town of Sidi Ifni. In this blog I will tell you everything you need to know for an overnight stay in Legzira.

The arch

The Atlantic coastline of Morocco is very long and impressive, but this is definitely one of my favourite spots of this coastline. What makes Legzira so special is the huge, natural stone arch that is crossing the beach. Until the year of 2016 there was another arch next to it, but unfortunately this one collapsed. Still, it is definitely worth a visit as the colour, consistency of the rocks and the whole setting are very unique.

During the ‘Golden hour’ the arch turns golden orange and with sunset you will be able to get a magical view through the hole. Do make sure to take the tides into account, as with high tide the water blocks the arch and you will not be able to get to the other side again. At the beach, there are some little houses and restaurants where you can enjoy a nice Moroccan meal like a tajine.

Where to stay

During a clear night, you will be able to see the sky getting filled with stars. This is one of the reasons why you should spend the night in Legzira. Other reasons are the beautiful sunset, diner next to the ocean and the fact that (if you do not have a car) public transport is not the best!

My tip for accommodation would be Complexe Kasbah Lagzira. Which is located on top of the cliffs in front of the beach. With a stairs you can get to the bottom of the cliffs and from here you can walk in a few minutes to the arch. The complex consists of many apartments, suitable for multiple persons. With a living room, two bed rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and an extra toilet, these apartments are very spacious but also still very affordable. However, the entire property could use a fresh touch as it looks quite old and a bit forgotten. The peace, quietness and location however do again make up for this and we had a lovely stay here!

Sidi Ifni

I would also like to suggest to have lunch at the nearby town called ‘Sidi Ifni’ and especially at the little restaurant called ‘Nomad’. This colourful restaurant serves a nice amount of Moroccan dishes for a descent price and is located in a cute street. Sidi Ifni is a quiet town too but it is nice to spend some time here. As we visited in low season, I do not have any experience with how busy it can get in high season!

Paragliding Legzira

Another AMAZING activity that you can do in Legzira is Paragliding. Together with Parapente Legzira and a 4WD you will go up the highest mountain in the area for take-off. The paragliding gives you an amazing feeling of flying and the area is crazy beautiful. From the dry mountains, you will fly over the small village of Legzira towards the sea. From here you have a great view on the arch and the entire coastline.

After +- 10 minutes flying, you will safely land again on the beach. This was an once in a lifetime bucket list experience to me and I would recommend it to everyone! The price of this flight is 500 Moroccan Dirhams which is a bit less than 50 euros.

How to get there

Legzira is located around 3 hours driving south of Agadir. Unfortunately, public transport to this beautiful place is not ideal. You can take the CTM bus to the closest city: Tiznit. From here you will need to find a shared taxi (taxis that fit 6 passengers) that will take you to either Mirleft or Sidi Ifni. From here you will need to take another taxi to Plage Legzira. However, once you get there, it will be difficult to find transportation back.

This is why I would recommend getting either a private transfer (expensive) or to rent a car. In this way you can drive in a relaxed pace and stop whenever you want. We rented the car for two full days and left on a Saturday morning. We arrived in the early afternoon and went to Sidi Ifni by car for lunch. On the way back we stopped for lunch and a walk in Tiznit.

Place Outa El Hamam is the perfect place to try out a glass like this as you will have a nice view on the busiest square of Chefchaouen.

Tiznit

Tiznit is a city on the way from Agadir to Legzira and is known for its silver jewellery. It is not big, but it is nice for a stroll through the medina and to have lunch on your way. I love it that every Moroccan city has its own unique medina, so it keeps amazing me every time. Men preparing their herbs in big bags, chickens in cages ready to be sold, butcheries and in Tiznit also a lot of jewellery places of course. I would recommend to include Tiznit in either your way to Legzira or your way back as it is definitely worth a look.

If you have some questions or other remarks, please leave a comment or contact me!

Where the ocean meets the Sahara: Sandboarding in the Small Sahara

December 12, 2019

by Bo with No Comment Morocco

When you think about Morocco, you will probably think of the desert. The Sahara is the biggest desert in the world and a must see when you are in Morocco. However, the most beautiful places like Erg Chebbi are far away from the popular tourist cities. For example from Marrakech you will need at least a 12 hours’ drive to get to Merzouga from where you can go into the desert.

Surf Paradise Morocco

As I did not have the time yet to visit the Sahara, I decided to do a trip a bit closer to home. This trip is offered by Surf Paradise Morocco (https://surfparadisemorocco.net/), which is a surf hostel located in Tamraght. From here they organise multiple trips in the surrounding areas including this sandboarding trip. Around 4 pm they pick you up from the location you want in the area of Taghazout, Tamraght or Agadir, but a pick up in Agadir costs 5 euros extra. I decided to travel to Taghazout myself (which costs 7,5 dirhams by bus which is around 75 euro cents) and wait there for the pick-up.

Banana plantations

I thought that there would be a whole group of tourists as the website says it can be a group up to 20 people, but when they arrived it was just the owner of the hostel with two other Moroccan men. The drive from Taghazout to the Small Sahara takes around 30 minutes and has the most gorgeous views of the coastline. During this trip you will also pass by the big banana plantations and we stopped in a nearby village called Tamri to buy coffee and go to the toilet. Here, they also bought a Moroccan doughnut for me.

Small Sahara

After arrival at the site, you first have to walk and climb a dune to get to the real dunes. Here there is no vegetation anymore and all you see is sand and the ocean in the background. It is called the Small Sahara as there are only 5 or 6 sand dunes, so do not expect a big desert. These dunes are high and steep which make them perfect for sandboarding.

The guide brought a surfboard and showed me how to stand on it. It is quite difficult to get speed as the sand slows you down. This makes it more difficult to keep your balance and there is a possibility that you will fall with your face in the sand like I did. Luckily, the sand is soft and the fall will not hurt. Determined to do it right, I tried again and this time I made it all the way to the end and it felt awesome!

Views of the ocean..

Of course, walking up the dunes with the surfboard is very exhausting, which is why we all lay down in the sand and enjoyed the view. The people were all super chill and relaxed and gave me the freedom to do whatever I want. There was also some time for pictures and videos of this amazing spot. I felt extremely free and the place itself is super quiet. Even if you do not like to go sandboarding, this place is beautiful and fun to go to.

I would definitely recommend to plan a visit to the Small Sahara during your trip in Morocco to escape the busyness of the cities. Surf Paradise Morocco plans its trips in the afternoon so that you will experience the sunset. Unfortunately I was not lucky as there was no sunset this night, but the timing of the day still made the whole scenery look magical.

If you have any questions about sandboarding in the Small Sahara or other questions you can always send me an email!

My 7 favourite sunsets around the world

November 27, 2019

by Bo with No Comment Indonesia Italy Jordan Morocco Uncategorized

As I am from the Netherlands and it often rains in this country, I always prefer a destination with lots of sun to travel to. Not only brings the sun warmth and a nice tan (however, I always turn red immediately..) the sun is maybe at its most magical when it is about to set.

Lots of people come together to watch the sun disappear after a full day of activities. I always think about the places where the day will start after it ends where I am at that point in time. As I love to sleep, I prefer watching sunsets over sunrises.. Which is why I would like to share my 7 favourite places for watching the sunset that I have experienced so far.

Walakiri Beach, Sumba Indonesia

This beach was already mentioned in my Sumba highlights post, but I think it also deserves a spot in this list. The sunset here creates a beautiful image of mangrove tree silhouettes. These trees look like they are about to dance, which is why they are often called ‘Dancing Trees of Sumba’ and people pose with them as if they are dancing. This trip was very special to me as we went to Indonesia to do research about waste management on two islands: Sumba and Belitung. I will never forget the beautiful people we met and the experiences we had..

Wadi Rum, Jordan

Sleeping in the desert was on my bucket list already for a long time. To see the sun set in this desert with nothing around you and in full quietness is just magical. The desert gets filled with beautiful sunrays and colours and if you are lucky you see a family of camels passing. After the last string of light the desert is dark and you will see a sky full of stars..

Hassan II Mosque Casablanca, Morocco

This spot is perfect for the ones that love architecture and photography. The mosque with the colours of the sun shining created magical pictures. During sunset a lot of families come to the square in front of the mosque to enjoy a nice evening out. The Moroccan culture and architecture in combination with the colours of the sunset is the reason why this place is in this list.

Agadir beach, Morocco

Another spot in Morocco to enjoy a beautiful sunset is on the beach of Agadir. Now that I live here, I look out of my window every night to enjoy the sunset. Every single time I get amazed by the different colours of the sky. At one point, the whole sky turns a bright purple and in combination with the mountains in the background and the palm trees, this is a must see sunset!

Liberty Bridge Budapest, Hungary

For this next sunset we are going to Europe. Of course, to enjoy a nice sunset you do not have to fly for hours. There are a lot of beautiful places for sunsets closer to home. This next one is in Hungary, which I experienced with my sister during our interrail trip. In our hostel they told us to go to Liberty Bridge during sunset. During this time of the day, people from all over the city come to this bridge and climb on it to find the best spot to sit and watch the river. Here, the sun will set behind a mountain and you will have a beautiful view on the river and the city. The whole experience of sitting (or standing) on a bridge with lots of people around you is a unique way to end your day!

Termoli, Italy

I experienced this sunset when I was traveling alone through Italy for my research. Being alone while watching the sunset does not make it any less special. It made me more aware of how privileged I am to be able to travel and enjoy beautiful views like these. Termoli is a small harbour town in the region of Puglia and this sunset shining on the pastel coloured houses looked amazing.

Monkey Mia, Australia

For this last sunset we have to travel all the way down under to Monkey Mia in Western Australia. We also have to travel far back in time as I experienced this sunset in 2007! But the fact that I still remember this place says it all. Imagine being at a tropical beach, watching the sun set and see a dolphin swimming right in front of that fire red sun. Do I need to say more, mate?

Liked this post? Or do you have another great sunset spot to share? Contact me!

7 things to do in Agadir, Morocco

November 22, 2019

by Bo with 2 Comments Morocco

Agadir, located in the South of Morocco is a popular beach destination for both international and domestic tourists. In this blog I will list some of my favourite things to do or see in this busy coastal destination.

Agadir Beach & Boulevard

The beach of Agadir is long and is surrounded by a big boulevard with little shops and restaurants. At the beach there are multiple spots to rent a sunbed and umbrella, but if you prefer to just lay on your towel then there is also enough space. At the beach there are multiple activities offered like surfing, bodyboarding and jet skiing. However, Agadir is not the best spot to go surfing as the waves are often not high enough and too close to the shore.

Of course, during the winter period the sea is not perfect for swimming anymore. Still, this area is perfect for a beach stroll and getting some fresh air. So also if you are not a swimmer or a beach activity person, you can still enjoy the nice sea breeze and a fresh mint tea afterwards.

Agadir Marina

This small pleasure port is located between the big port and the beach. Here you can find restaurants, shops and people trying to show off their newest outfit or car. From here, you can also go on a boat tour. Eat here in the evening to enjoy all the young people trying to find a spot to park their cars and get ready for a night out. For one moment, you feel like your in a French or Spanish port instead of a Moroccan one.

Memoire d’Agadir & Jardin d’Olhao

After the earthquake in 1960, there was not much left of Agadir. In this little memorial site you can see pictures of the city before and after the earthquake and read news articles from during the catastrophe. After this history lesson you can wander around in a nice park and clear your head. This is also a place where younger people and families like to come in their weekends to relax.

Agadir Oufella

After visiting the memorial and seeing the pictures, it is nice to see the remains of the Kasbah in real life. To be honest, there is not much left of it. There is just a wall and a few rocks, however, it is still worth a visit because of the great view over Agadir. Especially during sunset this place has a magical view.

After the earthquake they placed big rocks on the mountain in the shape of 3 Arabic words and every night these words light up and give a magical touch to the beach side of Agadir.

Shop at Souk El Had

Some say the Souk of Agadir is the biggest souk of Africa. Even though this statement is not true, it is still very big and worth a visit during your time in Agadir. This big souk has a roof and contains 12 gates (bab). I would recommend to start at Bab 6, as this is a nice big gate from where you will get a nice entrance to the souk. Here you will find everything variating from fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables to tea pots, clothing and furniture. Masses of colourful fruits are stacked on top of each other and bananas are hanging from the roof. This is the place to shop your Moroccan souvenirs as the prices are better here than in the tourist shops.

My tip as a solo female traveller here is to, if you can, go with a local person. This will give you the freedom to just walk and look around without shop owners trying to sell you something. If you are not in the position to go with a local, I still recommend you to go as this, to me, felt more like real Morocco than the rest of the city.

See the Mosques

During your time in Agadir you will probably hear when it is time for prayer because of these mosques. Even though non-Muslims are not allowed to enter, the outsides of these mosques are worth to see. The architecture and the details of all mosques in Morocco amaze me and I think these mosques are just gorgeous. There are two mosques relatively close to each other: Lebanon mosque and Mohamed V mosque.

La Medina d’Agadir chez Coco Polizzi

After the earthquake in 1960 an Italian-Moroccan artist named Coco Polizzi designed a new medina in Agadir as a reconstruction of the old medina. Using traditional Berber techniques, this medina feels like an open-air museum. Even though it is not the ‘real’ medina anymore, I do think that it is worth the visit! It is a nice and quiet space and with the entrance ticket you will get a free drink at the terrace. Ticket costs 40 dirhams.

5 destinations for the real Moroccan experience

September 16, 2019

by Bo with 2 Comments Morocco

In this blog I am going to write about my experience in Morocco by listing five destinations that impressed me in various ways. These five destinations are not the most common top 5 of Morocco when you read other blogs, however I chose those that surprised me the most. It shows the 5 destinations and shares some ideas on how these places can develop in a more sustainable or responsible way and provides some ideas on how you as a traveller could act more responsible during your journey to and at these places.

1. Fez

Fez is what I would like to call authentic Morocco. With its little streets dazzling through the medina you feel like your in a maze. It is easy to get lost in this Imperial city but that is exactly what you should do here. The Fez medina shows you all kinds of local industry like the leather production. Here, the leather still gets produced as in the early days and as a tourist you can get to see it yourself. Of course, the locals will try to offer you tours but you can also perfectly do it yourself. However, when you want to get a nice view of the tanneries you will have to tip a person to go to a viewpoint, they will give you some mint for your nose because of the smell and you can stay as long as you want.

In the medina itself you can also find leather shops where you can buy handmade products or look for the building that once was the first university ever in the world. Also, I would like to recommend you to go to an old Coran school and enjoy the details of these beautiful buildings. If you feel hot and feel like a cold drink and some non-Moroccan food have a look at my restaurant tips in Morocco!

My experience with Fez was not only amazing because of the beauty and authenticity of this city, but also because of the people who I met there. Via a Mexican girl working at a small restaurant I got in contact with a woman called Najat. This Moroccan woman grew up in Morocco and also lived in Mexico for a while. With her passion for food she created the restaurant called ‘Nur’ which serves real Moroccan dishes but creates a whole experience around it. With her success she tries to make a difference for the women of Morocco. By showing them how to stand up for themselves she tries to improve the rights of women in this culture. Her success even brought Gordon Ramsey to Morocco for an episode of ‘Unchartered’ where he cooks authentic dishes with Najat. I think Najat is an amazing and strong woman and her story must be heard. If you want to know more about her story, follow her on her social media: Instagram: Najatkaanache_

2. Essaouira

This little fishing village definitely earns its spot in my top-5 list. From the moment we arrived here I loved the medina with its wider streets. Most of the medinas in Morocco have very narrow streets where you can get easily lost. Essaouira is much easier to walk around and the medina itself is also not very big.

Still this village is worth a stop because of its location at the sea. At the port you can experience fish trade as you might have never seen before: fresh fish laying on the ground with people and cats walking almost through them. The fish gets sold and bought by the local people and are prepared at the little restaurants in the city. I am not sure if you can really call it ‘fresh’ as the fish are laying in the open air without any protection or ice to cool them, but hey.. we did not get sick so do not worry too much. If your nose is not too sensitive to unpleasant smells it is worth it to walk around and experience the fish trade of the locals, with cats and birds waiting for their turn to grab some fresh fish.

Not only Essaouira is worth a visit for its authentic trade, it is also famous by surfers for its great waves. So it is also not weird that Essaouira is called ‘the Windy City’. Wave surfers and kite surfers get together at the best spot to catch a wave while being watched by the multiple dromedaries that are laying at the beach waiting for another tourist to ride them. Here I would like to say: catch a wave, but not a ride.. For only a small amount of money you can get a board and a suit for a few hours and you can enjoy the nice waters of Essaouira.

The last aspect I would like to cover of Essaouira are the popular ‘climbing goats’. These goats tend to climb argan trees to eat the nuts of the tree and this is the only place in the world where you can see this phenomenon. However, such an unique phenomenon is also a way of making easy money by, for example, providing goat tours. Busses from Marrakech or Essaouira take tourists just outside Essaouira to see these goats climbing the trees. What these tourists often do not know is that the goats used for tourism are often tied to the trees and forced to be in the tree. There is nothing authentic about this anymore and it is pure animal torture. So if you do not want to be part of this animal abuse, I would recommend you to take a public bus to Essaouira and keep your eyes open to catch a glimpse of them. But as this is often only in the early mornings the best way to see them is going by car yourself and see if you can find shepherd with his goats and offer him a small tip to take a photo.

3. Casablanca

Maybe it is weird that this city is in my top 5 as the city itself is not very spectacular. However, if you love architecture as much as I do, you would understand my decision. Casablanca is home to the biggest mosque of Africa called the Hassan II mosque. This mosque is the only reason why I would recommend someone to go to Casablanca. However, the magnificence of this huge building should not be underestimated. The details in the architecture are like a 1001 nights story. This is also the only mosque in Morocco where non-Muslims are allowed in and this is why I would totally recommend taking a tour to go inside. A guide will tell you some nice facts about the mosque and show you the interior.

Standing outside, looking at the mosque I could stand there for ages. The whole building amazed me with its colours, heights and grandeur. But the mosque itself was not the only experience for me, around sunset the square surrounding the mosque gets filled with Moroccan families enjoying the evening. Mothers with children, friends and whole families get together at the square for a picnic, a game or even a swim in the sea. I loved all the people enjoying their free evening surrounding this holy building, but I would also like to share a more negative side of it. As I was walking alongside the coast and looked at the families enjoying the sea, I smelled a very unpleasant odor coming from all the garbage that was laying at the ‘beach’ and in the sea. All the picnic items that were brought by the people were left there and no one seemed to care. This is why the Hassan II mosque to me was like “The great mosque surrounded by garbage.” In my opinion it is such a waste to let a beautiful place like this get polluted by the laziness and ignorance of people. It can be so easy to just take home your trash..

4. Chefchaouen

The fourth destination is one to many more familiar by the name of the ‘Blue Pearl’ or ‘Blue City’. These nicknames are perfect for this little town as the whole medina is covered in blue. Chefchaouen is located in the middle of the Rif mountains in the North of Morocco, which creates a magical scenery with the blue contrasting the green and brown of the mountains.

However, because of the huge aesthetical value of this city, a lot of tourists are attracted to go here. So do not think you will be alone wandering the little streets as people from all over the world come to experience the magic of the blue medina. Even though this place is a popular tourist spot, it is not as easy to reach as other destinations. There is no airport or train station nearby so the quickest option to get to Chefchaouen is by bus or car from either Fez, Tangier or Rabat. Of course as a supporter of sustainability I would always recommend to take the bus. This ride from, for instance, Fez takes around 4 hours and shows some nice scenery of the mountains. Make sure to book your ticket at the local office a day before to be sure of a seat.

Chefchaouen is very little and for sightseeing you will only need a day. You can choose to stay longer and experience everything at a lower pace. There are also some nice hiking trails nearby with waterfalls as a nice reward, these are also more unknown than the famous Ouzoud falls nearby Marrakech.

5. Agadir

Some might be surprised to see Agadir in this list, but I personally think Agadir has a lot to offer. In the end, it is one of the most popular destinations for the local people themselves to travel to in their holidays. Agadir is located in the south-east of Morocco at the coast. This coastal destination is home to multiple luxury hotels and resorts and is perfect for a beach stroll or a walk on the boulevard with a lot of food and beverage options to choose from. At the end of the boulevard you will find the Agadir Marina which to me felt like an European port.

What makes Agadir more special than other beach destinations is its location. It is surrounded by mountains and parts of ‘desert’. I chose to put desert into quotation marks as some tour companies might promise you to see the desert when booking a trip around Agadir, however this desert is not the Sahara with its sand dunes, as the Sahara is around 13 hours away from Agadir. Still, I would definitely recommend to also go outside Agadir for a day, for instance to ‘Paradise Valley’. Paradise Valley is located in the mountains approximately an hour drive from Agadir and according to its name you will find a small paradise in a valley where you can swim in natural waters.

Here, you will find again mostly Moroccan tourists enjoying the pools. To enjoy your day at Paradise Valley I have some points of advice for you to keep in mind: try not to book at your hotel but at a local agency and preferably a private local guide. When you book a ‘half day tour’ at your hotel it might happen that you will be driving around for 2.5 hours before arriving at the destination instead of one hour. Also, arriving at the destination you will first have to go to a local restaurant for a drink and after that you will only have one hour left to enjoy the Paradise Valley. This hour will give you enough time to enjoy the set up place for tourists, with plastic tables and chairs in the water and multiple little shops and restaurants near the water. To be honest, this place felt like a tourist trap and not worth the effort. However, if you can go by yourself with a guide who can give you all the time you want at the destination, you will have enough time to explore the place and find real paradise a bit further away from the crowds.

By choosing for a local agency you make sure your money stays with them instead of ending up in the pockets of the wealthier people. Another thing to keep in mind when visiting Paradise Valley is to make sure to bring all the waste you produce back to the city instead of leaving it in the nature. We all want to be able to keep enjoying the beauty nature provides us right?