Being a port city, Agadir was first colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century, being recaptured a century later by the chiefs of the Saadiam dynasty, which started with the reign of Sultan Mohammed ash-Sheikh in 1554 .
In the beginning of the 20th century, Agadir was the stage for an international crisis between France and Germany, called " The Agadir Crisis." It resulted in the loss of Morocco's formal independence to France, which would be regained in 1956.
On February 29, 1960, Agadir was totally devastated by a moderate earthquake (less than 6 degrees magnitude on the Richter scale). More than a third of the city's population was killed, about 12,000 people, in an incident that lasted less than a minute.
To the U.S. Geological Survey, the reasons for such unprecedented destruction was the shallowness of the event: it happened right under the city. To make things worse, the buildings in the city were not built to be tremor-resistant.
Despite the destruction from the 1960 quake, the Old Kasbah provides a complete view of the bay, the port and the new town. It is an ideal place to see the sunset.
The New Medina is the area reconstructed in the 1990s by Italian architect Coco Polizzi; it is a place to find good restaurants and buy arts and crafts.
A coastal road allows further exploration to the north where there are small beaches with clean, clear water.
Agadir is part of an Islamic country, so it is advisable to observe the local etiquette to avoid unintended offenses. For instance, homosexuality is a criminal offense in Morocco, as well as sexual relations outside marriage. Also, women should avoid wearing short clothes that expose the body, except on the beach.
Be aware of pickpockets, especially in busy spots.
Arabic, French and Berber are the languages spoken in Morocco. The International dialing code is 212 and the voltage 127V or 220V.
The national currency is the Morocco dirham (Dh).
The locals buy their food in El-Had Souk. It is worth visiting the market to experience the array of spices and ingredients used in the rich Moroccan cuisine.
Don't forget to try harira soup, brochettes (kebabs), couscous, tagines and pastilla, all accompanied by the national drink, sweet mint tea.
