Thursday, August 27, 2015

Agadir Morocco

Agadir from the kasbah
 Nomad arrived in Agadir after a twenty six hour sail from Essaouira that started out with a nice 15-20 breeze that slowly went to calm during the trip with the boat speed down to a couple of knots by then end of the day. It was a good introduction to sailing for Lyza and Kris first trip on the ocean. This was their second trip to Agadir so finding places in town was easier with some local knowledge. The yacht harbor in Agadir with its floating dock was to be the only facility of its kind on Morocco's Atlantic coast with daily, weekly and monthly rates. The next morning we cleared in, again. Morocco requires full clearance in and out every time the boat moves.By the time we left Morocco for the last time my passport had accumulated more than three pages of entry and exit stamps from each port. Agadir had the look and feel of any beach resort town and was not exactly the kind of place I would seek out, but it was the last chance to resupply before heading into the more remote parts of southern Morocco. Agadir is actually a "new" old city as it was nearly completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1960 and has been completely rebuilt, hence it's modern appearance. The kasbah overlooking the town is the only structure that survived the 1960 earthquake and makes for a great hike for a view of the city. We set out cross country from the back of the kasbah to enjoy some of the natural beauty of Morocco after too much city life. The scenery was nice and we got to see a camel ranch and a bee farm. This was to be our last view of the Atlas mountains as our next port would be at the beginning of the Sahara desert.
Camel ranching

Heading back to the harbor

The first and only marina for Nomad in Morocco