As we closed on Agadir we observed numerous very modern tour buses and an orderly taxi stand already taking shape.  The dock area was a bustling commercial port – no walking to town here.  In the distance, we noticed large Arabic lettering on the hill below the Agadir Oufella Ruins.  We learned later that the lettering is the logo of Morocco, meaning:  Allāh, al Waṭan, al Malik” (God, Homeland, King).  

There were plenty of taxis on the pier.  Smaller orange ones for probably 3 people and larger ones that would hold four or five people.  We spotted several large buses marked “Shuttle Bus” getting in position.  The ship advertised that a shuttle bus would be available to the promenade.  

We left the ship around 10:30 am and were required to present our passports to the local officials once we left the ship.  

Taxi drivers will approach you with offers for city tours of various lengths and various numbers of people.  US$10 an hour is probably a reasonable price point.  Euros seem more prevalent than dollars, but they will take both.  These ad hoc tours can go quickly so be ready to make a decision.  It’s best to know what you want to see rather than accept a random city tour.  The random city tour will be ok but will include a few shopping stops.  More important than the price is the driver’s demeanor and English ability.  As far as negotiations – counter with 25 percent of their initial price.  They will act shocked of course – then shrug and start to walk away.  You can negotiate from there if they follow you and they probably will.  

During the morning, when most people are getting off, there can be a wait for the next shuttle bus.  You need to stay alert because there usually isn’t a well-established queue and once a bus arrives it’s door may open closer to the end of the ad-hoc line causing confusion.  

Our timing was good, and a shuttle arrived in a few minutes.  

The shuttle bus stop was in the center of a large parking lot near the promenade with nothing else around.  A lovely beach is nearby, and you could have a fine time walking on the promenade next to the sand.  

The real action and place to go is the Souk el Sad – 2 miles away.  You could walk there, and later we met some people who did just that, but taxis are everywhere and will save time.  

We negotiated a trip to the souk with Abdul for the four of us – a price of $10 for everyone.  Always firmly establish in advance whether the price is per person or for “everyone”.  Abdul was friendly and he pointed out the King’s summer palace along the way.  

The souk is very large and has 12 ”Gates” with each gate leading to an area that features a specific type of product.  Abdul described what was at each gate and we chose Gate 6 which featured clothing.  

Abdul dropped us off at Gate 6, which was the area for clothing.  This was also the location of the only restaurant that was open today.  

Abdul gave me his WhatsApp information and said he would be available to return and pick us up on 15 minutes notice.  We prefer to stick with the same driver for the day if possible as it’s simpler once you have established a relationship.  

After taking a few pictures outside, we headed into the souk.  The souk was very well organized, clean, odor free, and quite comfortable.  We could walk around without being badgered to stop in any particular shop.  It was an enjoyable shopping experience.  

We weren’t looking for anything in particular, but we spotted some Pashmina shawls and Judy bought 8 for future gift possibilities.  We made a tactical error in our negotiation as we picked out all eight before we started to haggle.  We should have negotiated the price of one – then added more as a tactic for a price concession.  E.g.  1 for $10. – how about 2 for 15 etc….  

Judy also picked up a nice caftan that she would wear on the next Dressy Night.  

We didn’t venture too far from where we started, and after an hour we were ready for lunch.  You could easily spend several hours here exploring more than 6000 shops.  

The restaurant, Snack Dial Bab 6, was a small café serving hamburgers, tacos, pizzas, and other sandwiches.  We learned that they don’t take dollars but accept Euros.  I had both so we used euros.  I overheard another couple ask for directions to the nearest money changer as they only had dollars.  

We ordered a meat pizza and a margarita pizza along with a cheeseburger and four coke zeros.  The total price was $14.  The food was OK, but I wouldn’t make a special trip to eat here.  

As we were wrapping up we sent a WhatsApp message to our driver and asked him to meet us in 15 minutes at Gate 6 where he dropped us off.  

We made our way to Gate 6, and our driver arrived on time.  We went back to the promenade and dropped off Cindy and Brad, but Judy and I wanted to stay longer, and we negotiated a 3-hour city tour for $30.  

Our first stop was the Mohammed V Mosque, where we took some pictures of the outside.  

We then headed over to our first argan oil “factory” where you’ll learn all about the argan tree, and its oil.  We have since learned that these stops are a part of most tours in Morocco and the first time was sorta interesting, but we avoided them afterward.  We didn’t buy any argan oil products.  

Note:  We later talked to some people who did buy some lotions to help with the pain.  They reported that the lotion worked fine in the store but not so well when they got back on the ship.  They suspect the store samples are full strength, and the ones you buy may be watered down – Buyer Beware.  

Our next stop was a small farm with a few camels outside a fenced area.   Inside the fenced area were sheep, a few baby camels, and some horses.  An older man was tending the camels, and he offered to give us each a ride for $30.  Judy took a pass, but I accepted for $15 for a ride on a camel named Momo.  

The camel rose quickly and I was hanging on tight.  We walked around in a big loop for a few minutes and ended up where we started.  When the camel stopped, she dropped her front legs quickly and I pitched forward hard.  If I wasn’t holding on tight I would have been tossed off.  It was fun to do once, but I wouldn’t do it again.  

Our guide opened the fence and we watched a small flock of sheep munching on some hay along with a baby camel.  Off to the side were a few horses.  

Our next stop was a smaller souk called Kasbat Souss, which features about 60 craftsmen selling various products.  This is more of an artisan market for tourists than anything locals use, like the Souk El Had we visited earlier.  HERE is their website, which has a brief description of each artisan.  

We came in through the back door and watched workers making pottery.  After a few minutes, we went inside their showroom and bought a small dish.  

For the next twenty minutes, we browsed around the various vendors.  We saw a few nice things, but nothing that was not going to be available at the larger souk.  The prices here seemed to be higher, but it was difficult to compare apples to apples when you are working from memory.  Check out their website, and if any of those items are of interest, you may want to visit Kasbat Souss.  

Our final stop was the  Agadir Oufella Ruins on a nearby mountain.   Constructed in the 1570’s, Agadir Oufella was once an important fortress.  It was heavily damaged in the 1960 earthquake where more than 17,000 people died and 60% of the town was destroyed.  All that remains are small sections of the outer walls, a handful of passageways, and crumbling foundations.  The wind was intense, and it was uncomfortable to walk around.  We did enjoy a spectacular view of Agadir.  There were a few camels here available for rides.  

NOTE – There is a cable car you can ride up here from the city, but it was closed when we arrived due to the high winds.  

Agadir Oufella is close to the ship and Abdoul dropped us off around 4:30 pm.  

Back on the ship, Ian came over the PA systems and said that we would be staying here overnight to let the winds calm down before heading out to sea.  Casablanca was not very far so leaving in the morning wouldn’t impact anything.  

Tonight was another great show by the Zuiderdam singers and dancers:  EVER AFTER.  

Summary – much of the city tour was going to a series of tourist sales shops – which was OK for our first trip – we also didn’t have anything else we wanted to see other than the view from the mountain top.  For future travelers, I would recommend spending more time at the souk and exploring all the different areas.  The view from the mountain top is excellent – and if you want to ride a camel, you can also get a ride there.