Planning Your Time

Most visitors to the region fly into Agadir or reach Essaouira from Marrakesh, but there are now a few direct flights to Essaouira from Europe. Both cities easily warrant more than just a day trip, so it’s worth booking at least a couple of nights in a local riad. You can decide to stick to just one city, but many people decide to hit up both while in the area. From Agadir, the Anti-Atlas region is easily accessible in day excursions or with an overnight stay in Tafraoute or Taroudant. These trips can be arranged with a rental car or through one of the many local travel agencies. The area further south of Agadir, where the desert meets the ocean, is beautiful, and has a fascinating and turbulent history of occupation and independence, but requires a longer trip as distances are great and public transport very limited. If you are fortunate to be traveling to any of the region’s towns during a festival, book accommodations well in advance.