Agadir, Morocco: Beaches, Berbers and Flying Goats
Agadir in south west Morocco with its sun, sea and surf is perfect for a winter sunshine break but if you're looking for traditional Moroccan style you won't find it.
The town has a distinct European feel as it was completely rebuilt after a devastating earthquake destroyed it in 1960 tragically killing 15,000 inhabitants.
Agadir Beach
Agadir's long, wide sandy beach lined with restaurants, bars and hotels is the main attraction, as are the beaches further north, their rolling white breakers drawing the surf crowd.
Although we were happy soaking up some sun, whilst the snow settled back home, it wasn't long before I got twitchy and felt the need to search out some traditional local colour.
There are some interesting historical towns within striking distance of Agadir and we booked a tour with a local guide to Taroudant.
This authentic Berber market town sits in the heart of the Souss Valley with a backdrop of the Anti Atlas mountains and has the best preserved town walls in Morocco. To give you an idea it also goes by the moniker of Little Marrakech.
Morocco's Flying Goats
We're picked up at our hotel by a driver and our guide, Sala, wearing a blue cotton shesh - a Berber style turban - and start out for Taroudant which is about an hours drive inland from Agadir.
As we drive through the fertile Souss Valley see the distant snow-capped peaks of the Atlas mountains, catch sight of a caravan of around 30 dromedaries owned by nomad Berbers and pass lush green orange groves the fruit ripe and ready.
We also spy the infamous Moroccan 'Flying Goats' - well not exactly flying - more just climbing trees. The nimble goats clamber around the branches of the Argan trees munching on the foliage.
We stop the car to take a closer look and the herders are more than happy for us to take photos, for a few coins of course, but worth every dirham because I'm still smiling about those goats. The goats seemed quite bemused by us too.
Taroudant
We arrive at Taroudant, the apricot castellated ramparts concealing the bustle within, and enter the town through one of the nine ancient gateways.
We have two hours in Taroudant; time to navigate the two small souks, stop off in the main square and soak up some real Moroccan life.
Men wearing hooded Djellabas and soft leather slippers slip quickly by while women draped head to foot in indigo blue, the Berber national colour, provide a bright contrast against the sun-bleached buildings.
The Souk Arab is a maze of alleyways selling local handicrafts; silverware, carved limestone, ceramics, saffron, spices, lanterns and leather.
I buy a mini tagine trio that I'm not really sure what to do with now I've got it home - the haggling with the shopkeeper was lighthearted although he was far more skilled at it than me! Having said that people aren't pushy and don't approach us unless we show an interest - some are positively shy and it's not hugely touristy.
>>> Check rates and availability for a tour to Taroudant and Tiout with lunch.
The Marche Berbere, the other souk in town, is the food market packed with local people. It's lively and colourful; fruit and vegetables fresh and vibrant are beautifully displayed in alluring patterns - Morocco knows how to do patterns.
The mouth-watering smell of street food and spices waft from stalls and doorways and the summer-sweet smell of strawberries hit the senses as we pass by wooden carts stacked with pyramids of the ripe red fruit.
Cuts of meat hang from butchers windows that open straight onto the street and a large, plucked turkey languishes awaiting its fate. Flat breads are stacked high.
All the while the rasping whine of a Ghita, the Moroccan flute, follows us through the narrow alleyways. This small enclave and former Berber stronghold buzzes with life.
Near the Square we came across some women demonstrating how they produce Argan oil. I found this interesting as this was a very different scenario from the Fairtrade Womens' Argan Cooperative I visited in Tighanimine the day before.
We finished our visit with a stop in the heart of the town in the main square, Place Assarag, and find a café with a roof terrace.
This is a good move because it means we get a great view of the square's goings-on and can drink in the atmosphere along with our mint tea without any hassle from the shouty man with the cobra in a basket. It's huge entertainment watching him get everyone else though!
If you're in Agadir and want to see a slice of real Moroccan life then Taroudant is the perfect day out. At only an hour's drive away it's much nearer than the three hours to Marrakech.
The people in the souks are a lot less pushy and the atmosphere friendlier. You may even see some flying goats on the way!
>>> Check rates and availability for a tour to Taroudant and Tiout with lunch.
How to get to Taroudant from Agadir and elsewhere in Morocco
You don't need to take a tour to get to Taroudant from Agadir or to other destinations in Morocco. Bookaway is an excellent travel resource for internal transfers. You'll find timetables, routes, various transfer options and other useful information to help plan your travels as well as allowing you to book your tickets online.
If you like Africa then you might want to check out my epic 4-day Cape Town itinerary
Very informative article! Thanks for sharing.
This sounds wonderful! And great value too. Would love to see the flying goats one day too. Lovely photos as always.
Thanks Kathryn 🙂
Suzanne hey! As you might have understood by now I love your blog! You're one of the most inspiring bloggers I 'know'... Therefore, I've nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! In the same post I also thanked you for the Liebster award that you gave me some time ago! Thanks for being so inspiring... http://autumninbruges.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/forgotten-awards/
Alisa, thank you! You've made my day 🙂
The goats are my favourites and the Tagine too 🙂 We didn't do Morocco justice on our last visit, would love to return and stay longer.
Those goats were funny. We ate some delicious food too especially the Tagines 🙂
I've never been but I've always wanted to
Hope you got a feel for it from the pics...
I loved them particularly as it's trying to snow here!
What beautiful colors from the markets (including fruits and vegetables)! It sounds like a marvelous excursion... 🙂
Thanks Meg - there was so much to see there and such a buzzy atmosphere...
wow, you took some gorgeous photos. i am in the beauty industry, and argan oil is a hot item right now, cool to see photos of the organic experience you've had with the people who deal with these trees first hand.
The womens cooperative I visited is the only Fairtrade Argan Oil producer - they got started after attending literacy classes together. Very inspiring women.
Thanks for dropping by 🙂
I knew that it only came from one place in the world. Very interesting... thank you for sharing!
My pleasure! I'll be posting more about Argan Oil soon...
Love the goats! The colours look amazing as well. I've been told I wouldn't like North Africa as it's all too in your, or more to the point, my face. Too many crowds and bustle. I'm not one for bustling crowds. I do like to haggle though. 🙂
Thanks Sandy. Unlike Marrakech, Taroudant wasn't at all in our faces - except for shouty cobra man who we avoided! x
Some very colourful pics there, although I'm disappointed not to see one of shouty cobra man!
We didn't want to get too close! He'd stop, play his flute and get the snake out of the basket and if you were anywhere near he'd shout and rub his thumb and fingers together at people for tips. Other than this everyone else was laid back and not at all pushy.
As I have come to expect from you, this is a very informative and entertaining excursion post. Thank you. I wish I could catch up with all your posts.
Thank you David - that means a lot to me 🙂
Your post is just what I image Morocco to be ... exciting and colorful ... full of smells and tastes. Something for every sense. Heard about the flying goats before .. but never seen an photos of them before. Truly great post with a fantastic gallery. My favorite shots is the spices and the goats.
Thank you Viveka - the goats were such funny creatures. Glad you like the photos 🙂
Love your "flying goats," Suzanne! I love the look of Moroccan markets; your pictures are so colorful. It looks like a fabulous trip. 🙂
Thank you Cathy - funny that we both encountered goats this week! The markets were wonderful, so much to see and take in.
Gosh what a terrible tragedy, I had no idea that 15,0000 people were killed in Agadir in the 1960's. Your collages of images are lovely. I have never been to Morocco but it's somewhere I would love to visit. I look forward to your post on Argan oil - I am huge fan of this oil and I use it as my daily moisturiser.
I wonder how different Agadir would be today had the earthquake not happened?
I use the oil in my conditioner - a post about the Fairtrade Womens Cooperative and a giveaway coming soon!
I haven't been to north Africa yet, but I can't wait to go.
Morocco is a very friendly place and a great destination for a first foray into Africa
Love the flying goats, Suze! Been waiting expectantly for this post and am not disappointed. Taroudant surely sounds like my kind of sidetrip. You hear awful things about the pushiness and persistence of hawkers in some of the North African cities.
The people in Taroudant were very different to those in Marrakech. In the Jemaa el-Fnaa square in Marrekech people chase after you asking for money if you take their photo - even if you weren't taking their photo!