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The essentials in three lines

  • Imi Ouaddar and Aghroud follow one another along the N1, just past Taghazout, about 30 and 33 km from central Agadir: allow 30 to 45 minutes.
  • The road runs alongside both beaches, but several ways down to the sand are dirt tracks. Park on the tarmac and walk the rest: our rental conditions forbid unpaved tracks.
  • Beach supervision by the Civil Protection ends on 30 September. Out of season, do not count on a lifeguard or a flag: go for a walk instead, and never swim alone.

You are in Agadir in autumn or winter, the beach on the bay feels too urban, and you are looking for a long ribbon of sand to walk along or to watch the sun set over the ocean. Imi Ouaddar and Aghroud fit the bill, provided you know three things: where to park, how to read the tide, and what changes out of season. Here is what we checked, with data recorded on 4 October 2026.

Where they are: just past Taghazout, on the N1

The two beaches are not between Agadir and Taghazout, but a little further on. Take national road 1 towards Essaouira and go past Aourir, Tamraght and then Taghazout: Imi Ouaddar comes about 8 km later. Imi Ouaddar is about 30 km from central Agadir and Aghroud 33 km, which means 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. The OSRM route planner gives half an hour, the regional Explore Agadir Souss Massa website 45 minutes: plan for the upper end. From Al Massira airport, allow about 55 km and an hour.

According to OpenStreetMap, the N1 goes from dual carriageway to one lane in each direction north of Taghazout, then runs through the villages. The speed limit drops there: follow the signs, and watch out for pedestrians heading to the beach.

For the satnav, beware of places with the same name. “Aghroud” is also a district of Agadir and a village to the south, near Inchaden. The right one is on the N1, about 3.5 km after Imi Ouaddar; on OpenStreetMap, its beach is called “Plage Tanane”. It is better to enter the coordinates published by Explore Agadir Souss Massa, given in the table below.

Parking: tarmac all the way, sand on foot

The N1 runs alongside both beaches a few dozen metres from the sand, but you cannot drive down to the water. At Imi Ouaddar, OpenStreetMap lists a single car park, in the southern part of the beach, next to the N1, reached by a tarmac road and close to a few restaurants. The map says neither whether it is surfaced nor whether you pay: check on the spot. The other roads that lead down to the sea run through the village, and several are marked private. At Aghroud, no car park is mapped, and the only mapped ways between the road and the beach are dirt tracks.

So park in a tarmac space, off the carriageway, and walk the rest. If nothing is free at Aghroud, head back to Imi Ouaddar. Do not take a sandy lane, even a short one: a car can quickly get stuck, and our rental conditions forbid unpaved tracks, except for vehicles expressly suited to them. Finally, follow the parking signs.

Imi Ouaddar or Aghroud: two beaches, two moods

Explore Agadir Souss Massa describes the coast north of Agadir as a relaxing setting, and these two beaches as “very extensive”. According to OpenStreetMap, the sand stretches for more than 2.5 km at Imi Ouaddar and about 2 km at Aghroud.

Imi Ouaddar is the more convenient: the village is about 200 m from the sand, with cafés and restaurants, a fishmonger and small grocery shops listed on the map.

Aghroud is more unspoilt: a single mapped restaurant near the beach, sand reached on foot, and the argan forest inland.

At a glance Imi Ouaddar Aghroud
From central Agadir About 30 km, 30 to 45 min About 33 km, 33 to 45 min
From Al Massira airport About 54 km, 1 hr About 57 km, 1 hr
GPS coordinates (Explore Agadir Souss Massa) 30.589430, -9.762905 30.604756, -9.780586
Beach length (OpenStreetMap) More than 2.5 km About 2 km
Access to the sand A car park in the southern part of the beach, village streets Dirt tracks only: on foot from the road
On site (OpenStreetMap) Cafés and restaurants, fishmonger, grocery shops One restaurant
Our view Families, lunch, a stroll near the village Walking, peace and quiet, sunset

Tides, swell and flags: the sea out of season

The sea rises and falls twice a day, with about six hours between high and low tide. Off these beaches, the range runs from about 1 m to more than 3 m depending on the day, according to the Open-Meteo model, which is indicative near the coast. At low tide the beach widens; on a rising tide, do not get caught out near the rocks. Check a tide table the day before.

Autumn and winter are surf season: Explore Agadir Souss Massa puts the best conditions from September to March. According to Open-Meteo (2024-2025), the average offshore wave height is around 1.3 m in October and November, then 1.6 to 1.9 m from December to March. The water is about 21 °C in October, 20 °C in November, and 18 °C in December and January.

According to the MAP news agency, Civil Protection lifeguards are on duty from 1 May to 30 September, on beaches equipped for swimming. After that, the absence of a flag does not mean swimming is safe. The Civil Protection advises swimming in supervised areas and avoiding unsupervised beaches: out of season, we therefore suggest walking rather than swimming. If you go into the water all the same: never alone, children watched at all times, and dial 15 in an emergency. If a current pulls you out to sea, do not fight it: NOAA, the US ocean agency, advises swimming parallel to the shore, then heading back at an angle.

Planning the outing with your hire car

Half a day is enough. Set off in the early afternoon and stay for the sunset over the ocean: around 5.50 pm at the end of October, around 5.40 pm from mid-November to mid-December, according to Open-Meteo, on GMT, which Morocco has used since 20 September 2026. Average highs are around 28 °C in October and 25 °C in November, but evenings are cooler: bring a jacket.

To fill the day, stop at Taghazout on the way there, as explained in Agadir – Taghazout by car, or spend the morning in Paradise Valley, whose road starts at Aourir, on the N1.

As long as you stay on the N1 and tarmac roads, any model in our fleet will do. Mileage is unlimited and assistance is available 24/7. The €10 cleaning fee, charged only once per booking, is added to the total rental price; still, shake out towels and shoes before getting back in. Staying in Imi Ouaddar or Aghroud? Delivery is free in Agadir (airport, hotel, city centre); in the Souss region outside Agadir, allow €60 per trip. Give the location in your booking request.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Imi Ouaddar beach from Agadir?

About 30 km from the centre on the N1, towards Essaouira, which means 30 to 45 minutes, just past Taghazout. Aghroud follows, about 3.5 km further north.

Can you swim at Imi Ouaddar in October or in winter?

The water stays around 21 °C in October and 18 °C in December, but lifeguard supervision ends on 30 September, and the Civil Protection advises avoiding unsupervised beaches. Out of season, go for a walk instead; if you go into the water, stay within your depth, in calm seas, never alone.

Can you park next to Aghroud beach?

Not on the sand. The ways between the N1 and the beach are dirt tracks, forbidden by our rental conditions except for vehicles expressly suited to them. Park on the tarmac and walk the rest.

Sources

Written by the Carsalis team, in Agadir. We have been hiring out cars from our office at 4 Bis rue Moulay Driss since 2008. What you are reading here comes from our own rental conditions and from what our customers ask us every week on WhatsApp.

A question about your rental in Agadir? Write to us on WhatsApp at +212 648 291 116, or use our booking request. We usually reply within the minute, and we tell you straight whether the car is free or not.

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