Agadir → Essaouira coastal road trip: the drive worth taking

There are two ways to reach Essaouira from Agadir. The fast one, inland, in just under three hours. And the good one: the coastal road, a full day if you do it properly. This guide covers the second.

The route at a glance

• •Agadir → Taghazout: 45 min, a warm-up along the beaches
• •Taghazout → Imsouane: 1h15 on the R105, the most beautiful stretch
• •Imsouane → Smimou: 45 min through the argan trees
• •Smimou → Sidi Kaouki: 40 min, one empty beach after another
• •Sidi Kaouki → Essaouira: 25 min and you are there

Pure driving time is about 4 hours. With the stops this road deserves, leave in the morning and arrive for sunset on the ramparts.

Stops worth making

Taghazout first, for a coffee facing Anchor Point. Then Imsouane: the fishing village squeezed between two bays deserves an hour, if only for grilled fish at the harbour. Further north the road winds through argan trees; this is where you might spot the famous goats perched in the branches. Save time for Sidi Kaouki: a huge beach, a few cafés, almost nobody.

Which car for this trip

The road is paved end to end, so a city car does the job. But if you plan to drop down to the coves or reach the dirt-track viewpoints, a Duster or a Kardian removes all hesitation. And the boot swallows boards, coolers and beach bags without arguing.

Practical details

• •Fuel: fill up in Agadir or Taghazout, stations get scarce until Smimou
• •Signal: frequent dead zones between Imsouane and Smimou, download the offline map
• •The wind picks up in the afternoon in Essaouira, bring a jacket even in summer
• •You can return inland (2h45) for variety

With tripn'Go's one-way option, you can also pick up the car in Agadir and drop it at Essaouira airport. The road trip without the drive back.