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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!

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.

A perfect day in Taghazout

October 30, 2019

by Bo with 2 Comments Morocco

Surfer or no surfer, Taghazout is definitely worth a visit. I went by public bus to this small fishers village, which is now a relaxed surfing heaven. Taghazout has some of the best surf spots in Morocco and offers a lot of classes to beginners and more advanced surfers. I like to surf, but this time I did not go to surf. I took my camera, travel journal and swimsuit and was ready to enjoy a nice and relaxed weekend day.

How to get to Taghazout

To go to Taghazout, which is located around 20 kilometres up North from Agadir, you can take bus 32 from Wilaya – Jardin Belvere and it will cost you 5,5 dirhams. This bus will run every 15 minutes, but be prepared that the bus can run late. After half an hour you will arrive in Taghazout, but make sure to pay attention because the bus driver will not tell you where you are.

I went without a plan, so I was kind of lost in the beginning. However, when you start walking you will soon see that it consists of one big street with shops and restaurants and when you turn left into the small streets and just keep walking, you will end up at the beach. And that is where we want to be! If you want to go surfing, there are tons of surf shops and schools to choose from. Either take classes or rent your equipment and start playing in the sea yourself! As I worked all week and spend the whole Saturday walking in the streets of Agadir, I chose to do the surfing some other time.

Where the bus stops – Taghazout

Taghazout without surfing?

Also without surfing Taghazout is great fun! Drink a smoothie and eat some healthy food at World of Waves or eat a nice pizza, pasta or tajine at Windy Bay. Both places have a very nice atmosphere, with nice staff and a great view over the beach and the Atlantic ocean. Use one of the stairs to get to the beach and stroll around through all the little boats that are laying on the beach. I used this opportunity to take some pictures of this picturesque spot.

Now that you are on the beach already, you can go enjoy the sea and take a nice swim. At first I did not feel very comfortable with wearing a bikini, but then I saw multiple tourists doing it so it was okay. The local people here are very friendly and they will not stare at you. They are minding their own business and playing some sports on the beach.

World of Waves

Windy Bay

Anchor Point & Surf Berbere café

After some relaxation at the beach I was ready for the second part of my day: walking towards Anchor Point. This should be the spot to watch the professional surfers, instead I was walking in the heat and I did not see anything spectacular. Maybe it was because of the time of the day and the little amount of wind, but I was a bit disappointed by that. After giving water to some cute kittens there, I walked back to the centre of the village (a 20 minute walk). I decided that I did not want to end my day like this, so I went back to the cafes at the water and sat down at the Surf Berbere café for a nice mint tea. This spot is just like a dream! Sitting on a Berber cushion with a low table and looking at the water with the sun getting lower is the perfect way to end your day in Taghazout. But be aware: practicing your Moroccan tea pouring skills here is maybe not the best idea as the wind might blow your tea away!

The view during the walk to Anchor Point

Moroccan mint tea at Surf Berbere café

The way back to Agadir

Around 6 pm I decided it was time for me to get back to the busy city of Agadir, so I walked back to the same spot where the bus dropped me off. The bus was (according to Google Maps) supposed to come around 6.20 pm but it did not show up. Something past 7 pm the bus was finally there and as I was getting up to go to the bus, I got passed by a lot of locals that tried to get in the bus before everyone else. I ended up standing in the bus again even though it arrived empty.. So be prepared to ‘fight’ for your spot in the bus! On the way back, the bus cost me 7.5 dirhams.

I loved Taghazout and I will definitely go back to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and maybe do some surfing!

Rimini: so much more than parties and drunk tourists

October 18, 2019

by Bo with No Comment Italy

When you think of Rimini, you probably think of young party people going to clubs to get drunk. Rimini is famous for its big clubs and long beach. However, after living in Rimini for half a year, I think that Rimini has so much more to offer and is definitely worth a visit. In this blog I am going to share my favourite spots of Rimini and why Rimini is also worth a visit during the winter

Rimini: not just beach and clubs

Maybe not a lot of people might know that Rimini not only has a beach, it also has a very cute and old city centre. One of my favourite parts of Rimini is the area around the Ponte di Tiberio. This old bridge has 5 arches and was finished already 20 AD. When you cross this bridge coming from the city centre and immediately turn right you will arrive in my favourite street of Rimini called Via Marecchia. This little street has the cutest little pastel coloured houses like pink, yellow and blue. The flowers outside the windows of these houses and the wall paintings are the finishing touch.

During my time in Rimini I loved walking through this little street and watching the houses. At the end of the street you can turn right again and here is a bridge build on the water from where you can have a beautiful view on the Ponte di Tiberio and some of the cute houses. When you go back to the Ponte di Tiberio you will see on your left hand side a nice park, take the stairs down and you will see another nice wall painting. In spring and summer this park is very popular for chilling in the grass and enjoying the sun.

Arco di Augusto and surroundings

Another main sight of Rimini is the Arco di Augusto, which is located on the other side of the city. When you go through this arch you will see a big nice park that leads all the way to the beach. Everyday we walked through the park and underneath the arch which functioned as a gate to the city.

After this arch you will find two main squares: Piazza Tre Martiri and Piazza Cavour. You can recognize Piazza Tre Martiri by its big sun on the ground and the tower: Torre dell’Orologio. If you are coming from the Arco di Augusto and you reach the Piazza Tre Martiri and you turn right, you will reach the Tempio Malatestiano. If you reach the square from the arch and you go straight, you will reach Piazza Cavour. This square is surrounded by an old theatre: Teatro Amintore Galli and a building of what I think is the municipality building of Rimini. In the middle of the square you will find a nice fountain and on the opposite side of the municipality building you will see the Antica Pescheria, or what we always called ‘La Cantinetta’. In the early days this functioned as a fish marketplace, now it is used for nights out and meeting up with friends.

Piazza Tre Martiri

Why come to Rimini in the winter?

During the winter, the clubs alongside the beach close, the beach is not filled with sunbeds anymore and most of the tourists are gone, but the young people still want to party somewhere. This is the moment that going out moves from the beachside (with clubs like Coconuts or Carnaby) to the city centre to the old fish market. Here there are little bars like Neropaco, Guenda and Vinolta where you can have a nice drink and dance. On busy days the bars are packed with people and the fish market gets filled with people chatting outside. This felt so much cosier than going to the big clubs.

Besides going out in the winter, the city also gets fully decorated with Christmas lights. Big Christmas trees are put on every square and all the streets are lit by little lights. Rimini turned into a magical place during the winter and the good thing is: you can still enjoy world’s best ice cream!