Places we visited in Morocco: 1) Agadir – How we spent our first 3 days of vacation

When it comes to looking for a place to go on holiday, two things influence our choice considerably: the season and the price of plane tickets. We prefer to go to warm places because good weather with sunshine is always an important element for a successful holiday and especially with small children. This also applies to luggage, the suitcases for a warm season are half the size as the ones for a cold season.

For various reasons, Morocco was one of the countries we wanted to visit as soon as the opportunity arose. Five years ago, we missed our holiday there, due to a mistake by the embassy with my visa application. This incident made us call Morocco every name in the world, particularly Stefan who was looking forward to flying out of Chad to meet us in Casablanca. But with time, the bad experience gave way to Stefan’s nostalgia. In 2007, Stefan had done a bike tour in Morocco and from time to time he would tell us how much he enjoyed everything there.

During the whole summer, Stefan checked flight offers and the ones for Morocco were not to be missed. Of course, you have to be a real connaisseur to make a good combination of routes to get it at such a low price. Bought separately, the 6 return tickets from Cluj to Agadir cost us around 450 euros. We flew with Wizzair from Cluj to Bergamo and from there we continued with Ryanair to Morocco.

Although traveling with children is not the most exciting of things, seeing the enthusiasm of William (3 years old) and Nelson (2 years old) eased the few hours of waiting for the control or to switch planes. As for Jessica and Vanessa, they are fascinated by all sorts of items sold at duty-free shops and of course, they would love to buy something from there, no matter the price. This provides a good opportunity to explain to them that it is not a question of whether or not we have the money to buy them what they want, but rather a question of making a responsible choice. A choice that brings into play all the important parameters before deciding: need, utility and price comparison. Fortunately, at 9 and 8 years old, they have the ability to understand without making a scene. This lasts for some time before they make another attempt to ask for something else, this time arguing their need and the usefulness of the product; so, the circle continues until they catch me in my weakest moments and I give in, or in my best state of mind, where I don’t buy them anything at all.

During the flight, apart from William and Nelson, everyone else was sleeping because of the fatigue accumulated in the previous days. The two little ones were playing back and forth in the small aisle between the seats. Yet the fun gave way to agitation and frustration, accompanied by the discomfort we felt as parents at the looks of other passengers who were looking forward to a quiet flight. Little by little, the fatigue starts to show in the boys, but the hardest part is convincing them to sit quietly in their seats with the seatbelts on and hope that they fall asleep instantly. Thus, a 4-hour flight feels like an 8-hour flight for me.

Once landed, we put them on our backs while the girls helped with the luggage. The passport checks went through in a reasonable time and we were already at the car rental office ready to start the adventure.

We hadn’t really made a detailed plan for the time we would be in Morocco but we knew roughly what places we would like to visit. The rest was to find a suitable tour for the 3 weeks we had available. We decided to spend the first 3 days in Agadir, where we took a flat on the outskirts of the city. This allowed us to plan our tour and start our holiday in style on the Atlantic Ocean. The mornings were dedicated to the beach while the afternoons were spent visiting the surrounding area. The water was a bit cold, just perfect for the blazing sun while the waves were just what Jessica and Vanessa were waiting for to try their luck at surfing. The traditional market, also known as the souk, was vibrant and colorful as I imagined. The freshness of the vegetables and the pyramids of colorful spices invite you to taste and smell all the goodies. But although the taste and smell are not one hundred percent satisfactory, at least the eyesight is ensured by the many pictures Stefan took!

Late in the afternoon, we went to admire Agadir from the Oufella fortress that dominates the city. It is located on top of a mountain rising 236 meters above sea level, north of the city, near the present port. Every 30 minutes, there is a bus that transports those who want to visit the fortress. This place offers a magnificent view of the whole city and the port. But the best part is the lovely sunset over the ocean!

For our third day, we went to Taghazout, a town located 30 minutes north of Agadir which is known for its surfing beaches. After having lunch on one of the terraces right at the entrance of the town, we went for a walk on the beach. The sharp roads between the buildings and the small surfboard rental shops were as beautiful and charming as the long beach behind the buildings. The colored blue fishing boats docked on the sand offered a picturesque landscape. The silhouettes of young people playing football blended perfectly in the golden light of the sunset, letting ourselves be captured by the scenery presented by the horizon.