Many things to see around Agadir in Morocco
Actually, it’s not really my thing to go to a hot country like Morocco during the high season in August (zum deutschen Blog), but there are holidays and we take one of our teenagers with us.
As it is going to be hot, I think of spending seven days on a deckchair under a sunshade, but things turn out to be different.
In the early evening hours we arrive at the Club Hotel RIU Tikida Dunas, our hotel for this vacation. It is located directly on the beach promenade and about 15 minutes walk from the center of the long bay of Agadir.
Agadir
I have expected a blue sky and heat, but the temperature is pleasant and it is very cloudy, not to say foggy. This is not a rare phenomenon here in midsummer, often fog is forming and stays over the bay. Nevertheless, the sun should not be underestimated, as we can see from the many brightly red burnt tourists.
The second day is not better, on the lounger it is almost too cold for me, let alone to jump into the pool or ocean. Have I ever mentioned that I am easily freezing? Certainly several times in my blogs …
The weather forecast for the next days also predicts no change, so we decide to book a few trips. Our teen would like make a jeep tour into the desert and we would also like a bit of culture, so we book two tours.
The desert
Early we get picked up by jeep. Agadir is still foggy, but as soon as we are out of town, it clears and the sun comes out. But only for a short time because the wind blows more or less violent and causes a kind of sandstorm.
On the way to sand desert we pass many small villages, some seem to be totally deserted. Sometimes we see some camels or sheep. The fact that the animals can be fed with such sparse vegetation, is always beyond my comprehension. We drive by a lot of old kasbash that look like being out of the film “Lawrence of Arabia”.
Finally we arrive in the sandy desert. To the great disappointment of our teenage boy we don´t drive through the dunes, but stop at a some waiting nomads. Anyone interested can make a ride on a camel. We prefer to walk a bit through the sand and take pictures. It’s hot here!
On the way back we stop at the dam “Youssef ibn Tachfin”. The dam is huge and seems a bit odd amidst this barely-covered landscape.
In the evening, when we return to the hotel, the sky has cleared up a bit as it often does in the late hours of the afternoon.
The Soukh of Agadir
The next day we take a taxi and go to the Soukh of Agadir. The driver insists on a longer stop in “best shop of Agadir” to buy the world´s famous Argan oil. Argan trees exist only in Morocco. The kernels inside the fruit will be pressed and the oil will be collected. It´s used to eat or in cosmetics.
According to the very good German speaking owner I would soon realize that I look decades younger, if I would buy the whole product line. My argument, I would have excess baggage he does not accept, because he ships all over the world. Anyway I decide only on a small bottle of salad oil, which is expensive enough. After two more cups of tea, we can finally go to the Soukh.
Here we peacefully enjoy the many smells and impressions that such an oriental bazaar offers repeatedly. Gorgeous! Here the oil is not cheaper, so we are pleased about our purchase and bargain with a salesman over the price of a large bag of Verbena tea.
Taroudannt
On the second last day of our holiday we make a half-day trip to the ancient city Taroudannt, that is practically situated straight to the east going inland. On the way we also see one of the rare “goat trees”. One might think that the goats grow on trees, but this is obviously not the case. They also love the taste of the Argan tree, but they eat the leaves only, the precious fruit with the seeds wherefrom the Argan oil is pressed of, they leave to the humans.
The old town of Taroudant is surrounded by a clay wall. The nearly 1,000 year-old city is known as the “little sister of Marrakech”.
We walk for two hours through the narrow streets and remain here and there to watch the artisans in their narrow shops while they are working or to just enjoy the colorful and noisy bustle. In the sun it is hot, but here in the narrow streets and between the houses, it is pleasant, since hardly a sunbeam reaches to the ground.
During our stay we spend one day at the Robinson Club, which lies at the very end of the bay and is adjacent to the property of the king. No one may enter the beach there, as one immediately gets called back by the soldiers who are positioned there. Guests of the club know about that and no one crosses the invisible boundary on the beach.
I know now that it must not necessarily be hot in midsummer in Africa, but of course it’s crowded anyway, because especially the Moroccans who live abroad often like to spend these months here to relax. All are happy about the surf and the wide, sandy, bright beach as we are as well!
Would you like some more pics and travel information? Please like my facebook site or go to instagram! I´m looking forward to your comments!
Be First to Comment