agadir city www.agadir-travelguide.com

In the southern part of Morocco, The tourists will be enchanted by the beauty of all its cities, which contain fantastic historical monuments and varied attractive natural spaces. The city of Agadir is called the "Pearl of the Souss" mostly thanks to the fact that its beaches are very famous for its cleanliness and its stunning beauty. Thus, this magical city offers its visitors an excellent chance to enjoy an unforgettable holiday.

But before talking about some of the most famous beaches in Agadir, I first would like to give you some historical information about this lovely city.

Agadir has the most leading fishing port in Morocco and the first of sardines in the world . The city owes its current fame to its extraordinary range of over 6 km of fine golden sand, and its 300 days of sunshine per year. This small fishing village was at stake during the course of its history in the battles between the local tribes and foreign powers. The Portuguese settled there in 1513, but holy war, led by a Saadi prince in 1541, brought the city under the rule of the Wattasid dynasty after a siege of six months.

In the 18th century, the Alawites took the city and, to punish the rebellious inhabitants of the region, Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdullah decided to close the port and transfer all maritime activities to Essaouira.

Agadir fell in a lethargic sleep until 1911, when its name again makes the headlines. The German Emperor William II, King of Prussia, sent a cruiser into the bay of Agadir, where he tried to install a naval base. But France opposed the offer and, after lengthy negotiations, a consensus on the German rights was reached. France ceded its territories in Congo to Germany, which, in turn, expressed more imperialist interests in Morocco.

In 1930, Agadir became one of the stages of Saint-Exupéry and Mermoz's airmail flight before starting to cross the Atlantic. After independence and until 1960, Agadir was a beautiful, thriving city.

We can assume that everyone was sleeping peacefully shortly before midnight on February 29 1960, when suddenly, fate, with a violent blow, knocking at the door during fifteen seconds, no more, but a fifteen seconds that seemed an eternity. And then, a most terrible disaster in the history of the town: 15.000 people buried under the ruins brought down by an earthquake. But today, Agadir has been rebuilt as a modern, safe and beautiful city.