Agadir and Taghazout

My weekend trip to Agadir and Taghazout was a truly beautiful experience. In late November, the Atlantic waters were gleaming and warm, at least for my New Jersey standards anyways. Having done so many trips around Morocco and Europe, I was in desperate need of a more relaxing weekend, and Agadir certainly did not come short. The best part of this trip was that nearly half of the IES Abroad cohort in Morocco, roughly nine people, joined me on this trip. Having 8:15 a.m. Arabic classes everyday, it was wonderful to wake up at a more leisurely 10:00 a.m. It was a great weekend of relaxation and fun. 

After landing in Agadir late on Thursday night, our group headed an hour north of the airport to Taghazout. This small village on the coast has become a popular destination for European tourists, especially those interested in surfing. That morning, we found a local cafe that served well to our American palettes, from iced coffees to avocado toasts. After finishing up with breakfast at around noon, we strolled over to the beach, spending the afternoon soaking in the sun. Being in a cohort of just 25 people, our group was close knit, there were barely any students I did not have at least one class with. This was a nice change in pace from attending a school with 10,000 undergraduate students. Here I was with half of all my peers sitting on a beach enjoying the Moroccan sun and the Atlantic surf. 

At a restaurant in Taghazout that evening, we met other American exchange students who were studying in Sweden. In many ways, this Moroccan village felt like a tiny slice of America tucked away in North Africa. Althouh all of us were having such different study abroad experiences, this only made our conversation more interesting. We learned a bit about what life in Sweden is like, and they gathered a picture of what a Moroccan semester abroad looks like.

The next day at noon, we headed back to Agadir from Taghazout. I must say I outdid myself with our hotel reservation, as it only came out to $20 a night per person for a four star hotel with room service, a hotel restaurant, pool and spa. Agadir features a great promenade with restaurants overlooking the ocean, where we all laughed the afternoon away. Afterwards, a walk on the beach was in order followed by a night on the town. Both cities offer so much for tourists like ourselves, from great restaurants to ocean views to beautiful weather to dozens of wonderful late night clubs.