Agadir

Beach life is the reason most people come to Agadir. A wide crescent of fine sand, close to 10km long, curves around a sheltered bay with the promenade and hotels behind it. The bay takes the edge off the Atlantic swell, so the water near the city is usually calm enough for easy swimming. The sea is cooler than many sun seekers expect, about 21-22°C at the end of summer and nearer 17-18°C in winter. The sunshine almost never lets up, though, which makes it a winter-sun beach as much as a summer one.

North of the city the coast turns into surf country. Banana Beach at Aourir, Tamraght and Taghazout have smaller beaches and point breaks within half an hour, though the water there is rougher. The central beach is clean, has lifeguards in season and can feel crowded at weekends. Head for the quieter ends near the marina or towards the south for more room.

The best meal in Agadir is often the simplest: fish and sardines grilled at the stalls by the fishing port, picked out from the morning catch and eaten at shared tables. The Souss region adds its own flavours, with argan oil, amlou (an almond, argan and honey spread) and tagines cooked slowly in Amazigh style, and Souk El Had sells mountains of olives, spices, dates and fruit.

Away from that, the city works as a resort. Much of the eating happens in hotel restaurants and along the beachfront promenade, where menus lean international and the cooking is uneven. Alcohol is mostly limited to hotels, licensed restaurants and bars. There is no real café or fine dining culture to explore, so food rounds off a stay here rather than being a reason to book it.

The earthquake of 1960 destroyed almost all of old Agadir. The city that replaced it is modern, low-rise and planned, so there is little historic fabric to wander. The main sight is the hill of Agadir Oufella, where the walls of the old kasbah stand above the bay, with a large inscription in Arabic on the slope below. The best reason to go up is the view over the port and the beach.

The Medina Polizzi, a craft village rebuilt in traditional style on the edge of town, gives some idea of southern Moroccan architecture. The small Amazigh heritage museum shows jewellery, carpets and crafts from the region. A day covers all of it. For real Moroccan heritage you have to travel out to the walled towns of the Souss.

Agadir's nights belong to the resort. Going out centres on the beachfront and the hotel strip behind it, where you find hotel bars, a few nightclubs, lounge bars around the marina and beach clubs with music at sunset. In summer and around European school breaks it can run late. In the quieter months many evenings end after dinner and a walk along the promenade.

Alcohol is served mainly in hotels and licensed venues, so there is no street drinking or neighbourhood bar culture, and the local crowd is small. It suits a couple of nights dancing on a beach trip, but nobody comes for the scene itself.

Agadir sits where the High Atlas meets the Atlantic, and the land around it is dry and dramatic. North of the city the coast at Tamraght, Taghazout and Imsouane is one of Morocco's surf centres, with schools, board hire and long right-hand point breaks. Paradise Valley, about an hour inland, is a palm-filled gorge with rock pools and easy walks. The surrounding plains are covered in argan trees, where goats famously climb into the branches.

To the south, Souss-Massa National Park protects river mouths, dunes and coastal scrub. It is one of the last refuges of the northern bald ibis and a good place for birdwatching. Further out, the Anti-Atlas has rocky trekking and the Atlas foothills offer mountain biking. Summer inland is very hot, so winter and spring are the seasons for being outdoors.

The standout day out is Taroudant, about an hour and a half inland. It is a market town enclosed by long, ochre earthen ramparts, with souks that are far calmer than those in the big cities. Tiznit, to the south, is another walled town known for its silver jewellery. The fishing and surf villages up the coast, Taghazout and Imsouane, make easy half days.

After that the list gets thin. Essaouira, Marrakech and the painted rocks and villages of Tafraoute are all around three hours away or more. They are better done as overnight trips than as days out. Most excursions sold in town go to landscapes rather than places.

Agadir is one of the easiest places in Morocco to bring children. The beach is wide and sandy, the bay is gentle, and the long, flat promenade works for buggies and scooters. Many families stay in all-inclusive hotels with pools, kids' clubs and entertainment, and the sun is reliable even in winter. Moroccan culture is warm towards children.

There is not much aimed at children beyond the beach. A crocodile park with landscaped gardens lies just outside town. The Vallée des Oiseaux, a small walled garden with birds and animals in the centre, is good for an hour. A camel ride or a boat trip from the marina fills another afternoon. Summer heat is strong and the sea can have currents away from the main beach, so choose swimming spots with care.

The beachfront is the easy part. Hotels, restaurants and the marina line a long promenade you can walk from end to end. The rest of the city is spread out, and the souk, the kasbah hill and the port are each a ride away. The orange petit taxis cover these trips cheaply and are the usual way around. Agree the fare or ask for the meter before you set off.

City buses run through town, but most visitors find taxis simpler. For Paradise Valley, the surf coast or Taroudant you need a grand taxi, a hired car or an organised tour. Driving in the region is fairly straightforward once you are out of town.

Shopping here means Souk El Had, a huge walled market with thousands of stalls selling produce, spices, leather, carpets, pottery and household goods. It is less theatrical and less pushy than the famous medina souks, and locals actually shop there. The things to bring home are argan oil and cosmetics from the women's cooperatives of the Souss, Amazigh silver jewellery and woven rugs.

Beyond the souk there are souvenir shops along the seafront, some boutiques around the marina and a modern mall. There is very little in the way of fashion, design shops or anything you could not find elsewhere in Morocco.

Agadir is good value, especially for travellers from Europe. Grilled fish at the port, meals in local cafés, petit taxi rides and market shopping all cost little. Off-season deals on beach hotels and all-inclusive packages can be very cheap. Prices go up along the seafront strip, where restaurants and bars are aimed at tourists, and alcohol is always comparatively expensive.

To spend less, eat away from the promenade, use taxis instead of organised transfers, and visit outside European school breaks, when beachfront room rates are at their highest.

The cultural highlight of the year is the Timitar festival, a long-established summer celebration of Amazigh music. It brings large free stages and performers from across Morocco and beyond. The rest of the year, live performance mostly means hotel entertainment, folk shows staged for visitors and the occasional concert. Agadir has no opera, theatre district or regular music venues, and visitors who want an evening of performance will have few options.

Agadir is built for slowing down, and wellness fits naturally into a stay. Many resort hotels have their own hammam and spa, offering the traditional black-soap scrub followed by an argan-oil massage, a product of the region. Seawater thalassotherapy centres along the bay add a more medical form of treatment. Simple neighbourhood hammams give a more local experience for anyone willing to try one.

The pace is part of the appeal. Days fall into an easy rhythm of sun, sea and long walks on the promenade, with none of the noise of a big medina city. Several yoga and surf retreats along the coast to the north cater to visitors who want a more structured break.