South Atlantic Coast

This beautiful section of Morocco's Atlantic coast is little visited, yet it offers some wonderfully varied coastal landscapes on the margins of the High Atlas and Anti Atlas Mountains. The stunning scenery includes rocky and sandy bays and headlands renowned for surfing to long sandy beaches, fine cliffs and coastal arches, wilderness and estuaries of a National Park and many dunes, some of which are massive.

The Region

The package tour resort of Agadir offers a fine golden sandy beach, some 7 km in length, at the southern end of which is located the Souss estuary, a well known site for birdlife, which marks the northern edge of the Souss Massa National Park which boasts a wide range of habitats especially dramatic coastal steppes.

Travelling further south via Tiznit, famed for its silver jewellery, the next settlement of interest is the sleepy small resort of Mirleft which enjoys in a spectacular coastal location then Sidi Ifni, a Spanish outpost, renowned for its Art Deco architecture, and the nearby spectacular sandstone arches at Legzira.

Beyond Mirleft, the scenery gradually gives way into a true desert landscape with lofty dunes, best displayed in the region of La Plage Blanche.

The region is one of great contrasts, offering both opportunities relax and/or a variety of options for those keen on activities.

Things to do or see

• Birdwatching The Souss Massa National Park and the Tamri National park, to the south and north of Agadir respectively, are both renowned birding sites as well as supporting interesting and unique plant and reptile species
• Surfing Taghazoute, twenty minutes’ drive north of Agadir and Mirleft, 2 hours’ drive to the south are amongst a number of famous surfing spots
• Swimming There are a number of recommended spots for swimming, but caution must be taken in heavy seas and certain locations with dangerous currents
• Resort Activities For those wanting some experience of a more mainstream resort holiday, the city of Agadir provides the night clubs, a vast range of restaurants, a promenade, a marina, a large fishing and commercial port and numerous other attractions
• Walking There is some wonderful walking country in a variety of settings of various gradients
• Fishing is excellent; a huge range of species is attracted to the region due to abundant plankton promoted by the upwelling nutrients associated with the cool current  
• Shopping at Tiznit for exquisite Berber silver jewellery, various traditional goods at the famous weekly camel market at Guelmim or a vast range of goods in Agadir.
• Resort Activities For those wanting some experience of a more mainstream resort holiday, the city of Agadir provides the night clubs, a vast range of restaurants, a promenade and a marina

For further details see things to do in the right hand panel.

Weather

The South Atlantic coast of Morocco enjoys a temperate climate thanks to the cool Canaries Current; on its northern edge around Agadir both winter and summer temperatures are very pleasant, whilst the weather is the far south is more extreme due to its desert location- on the edge of the Sahara. The coast is often breezy and sometimes misty in summer, and therefore feels several degrees cooler than inland. Average air temperatures, wind speeds and rainfall in Mirleft, which is fairly centrally located in the region, are shown below.

Accommodation Quicklinks

• Atlas Kasbah
• Ksar Massa
• Kasbah Tabelkoukt
• Les 3 Chameaux
• Sally's B & B
• Riad Villa Blanche