Agadir or Marrakech: which to choose for a family holiday?

Agadir and Marrakech are the two most visited cities in southern Morocco, about 250 kilometres apart. They are often compared, but they meet different wishes. The choice depends above all on the season, the children’s ages and what you want from your holiday.

The climate, month by month

Here are the average maximum and minimum temperatures for both cities, based on the 1991–2020 normals from NOAA, the US weather service.

Two differences stand out. In summer, Marrakech averages more than 37 °C in July and August, while Agadir stays around 27 °C, cooled by the ocean. In winter, Agadir is milder, especially at night. Both cities do, however, have episodes of extreme heat when the wind blows in from the Sahara: Agadir recorded 50.4 °C on 11 August 2023. For the details season by season, read Agadir’s weather month by month.

Agadir: the sea and relaxation

Agadir is Morocco’s largest seaside resort. Its sandy bay of nearly ten kilometres, its seafront promenade and its beaches all the way to Taghazout make it a place to relax. The city, rebuilt after the 1960 earthquake, is modern, spacious and easy to get around with a pushchair. Nearby, there is enough to fill a week without wearing yourself out: the kasbah and its cable car, the animal parks, Paradise Valley.

Marrakech: heritage and bustle

Marrakech was founded in 1071. Its medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, is the most populous in North Africa. Jemaa el-Fna square, with its storytellers, musicians and stalls, is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Also worth seeing are the Koutoubia, the Majorelle Garden, the Menara gardens and the Palmeraie.

The city is noisy and lively, its alleyways form a maze where a large pushchair struggles to get through, and the summer heat means going out early in the morning or at sunset.

The road between the two cities

A 233-kilometre motorway has linked Agadir and Marrakech since 2010. From city to city, allow about 250 kilometres and two and a half to three hours by car. CTM and Supratours coaches make the journey in about three and a half hours; check the timetables on their websites.

A day in Marrakech from Agadir?

It is possible, and many day-trip organisers offer it: about three hours’ drive there, the medina, the Koutoubia and Jemaa el-Fna square, then the drive back. With nearly six hours on the road in one day, it is a long outing for young children. To get more out of it, one or two nights there are a better idea.

Why not both?

Both cities have an international airport. You could start with two or three nights in Marrakech for the heritage, then finish with a week of sea and relaxation in Agadir. With a car, the drive becomes a stage of the trip.

Which city for whom?

• Agadir suits families with young children, and those who want the beach, bearable heat in summer and mild nights in winter.
• Marrakech suits families with older children who are curious about history and comfortable in crowds, preferably in spring, autumn or winter.

From our apartments in Hay Adrar, you have the sea nearby and Marrakech within driving distance. Our Dacia Sandero Stepway, hired with no security deposit, handles the motorway journey very well.

Header photo: the Koutoubia in Marrakech, by Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Accommodation and car in a single booking: that is our apartment + car package in Agadir, from €63.50 a night. Full details in our Agadir prices.