The Travelista

  • Home
  • About
    • Collaborations
    • Press
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Travel
    • Destinations by World Map
    • Hotels
    • Airlines
    • Restaurants
    • Itineraries
  • Life
    • Yorkshire
    • Style
  • Motherhood
  • Inspire Me
    • Adventure
    • Beach
    • City
    • Culture
    • Mountain
    • Tropical
  • Shop
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Experiencing Ramadan in Agadir, Morocco

01/08/13 ᛫ 4 Comments

This week I’ve noticed an increasing amount of content whizzing around social media about Ramadan, and rightly so. It started on the 9th of July and will continue for 30 days until 7th August, which marks the Muslim celebration of Eid-al-fitr. This time last year I was lucky enough to experience Ramadan in Agadir, Morocco. Here’s my story… 

Agadir Marina

Agadir Marina

With some Muslim friends and an interest in religion, I have always been aware of Ramadan and the practises behind it. But it wasn’t until I spent both the fasting and celebratory period in a Muslim country that I truly appreciated the significance of Ramadan. After enjoying 5 nights reviewing two 5* hotels in Marrakech (the Es Saadi Palace and Sofitel Imperial Palace), I decided extend my professional trip into a personal one by heading south west to the coastal town of Agadir.

Once dubbed by some clever marketing peeps as the place of ‘365 days of Sunshine’, I was looking forward to escaping the hazy madness of Marrakech for some blue skies and a fresh sea breeze. I stayed at the Atlantic Palace Resort, which was a huge but lovely hotel set back about 200 meters from Agadir’s long sandy beach.

IMG_0122

Agadir beach is 10km of golden sands offering watersports and endless sunshine

 On my approach to Agadir, it was like entering a ghost town. Considering it was midday, in August, in Morocco, during Ramadan, the tumbleweed was right on cue – and fair enough. If I were fasting for 18 hours without food or water for 30 days straight, I’d probably become nocturnal too. Although a tiny part of me did hope the lack of human activity was entirely down to Ramadan and not because Agadir was a crappy lifeless place.

 By the evening of my first day, I was assured that Agadir was NOT a crappy lifeless place. Quite the contrary in fact! Come nightfall, the place came alive and the very same streets that were deserted had become hubs of activity. Masses of locals oozed from out of the woodwork and flocked to the beachfront promenade. Lined with restaurants, cafes and ice cream parlours, the promenade was THE place locals went to socialise and break their fast.

DSCF2708

What was really lovely about this was the sense of community spirit. Every night was a mini celebration and families, children, teenagers and elders were all out til the early hours of the morning enjoying the occasion – with no alcohol involved of course. Much to my delight, the head count of ignorant western holidaymakers and boozy Brits was the lowest I’d ever seen in a sun drenched beach resort. And the few holidaymakers that were there seemed to be totally respectful and more than happy to soak up the atmosphere alongside the locals.

On the last day of Ramadan, other wise known as the eve of Eid, even more people came out to join in on the action. Nik and I jumped into a taxi towards the promenade (it was a distinctly memorable and crazy taxi ride but that’s another story!) Cars were jammed nose to tail on the road and full of families heading the same direction as us. There were people walking, cycling, laughing in the streets, all heading in the same direction. The atmosphere was mounting. It was a far cry from the ghost town I had driven into just a few days before.

IMG_0152

On the night itself we ate some fantastic seafood in a seafront restaurant and watched the hoards of locals go by, all out to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid. Families and friends stayed up all night playing games, socialising and eating til very late. The atmosphere was amazing and the Arabic message of ‘God, People, King’ lit up on the hillside only added to the unique cultural experience.  Although Agadir has become a popular holiday destination, it is still primarily populated with local Muslims who still embrace traditions. I loved Agadir and visiting during the special time of Ramadan made it even more of a memorable trip.

Loved Agadir and can't wait to return!

Loved Agadir and can’t wait to return!

Have you been to Agadir or experienced Ramadan in a Muslim country? Perhaps you are taking part in Ramadan and interested to hear about it from a non-Muslim perspective? Let me know what you thought of my post by leaving me a comment below!

4 Comments

Related Posts

  • A Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride in The Serengeti, Tanzania
  • A 5 Senses City Guide to Marrakech
  • A ‘Safari in The Serengeti’ Video Diary
« Discovering The Colourful Culture of Alicante, Spain
A 5 Senses City Guide to Marrakech »

Comments

  1. Milet Miranda says

    2nd July 2019 at 8:43 am

    Thank you for sharing your experience in Morocco. My friends and I visited Morocco last month during the Ramadan and it was a great experience. Listening to the early morning or evening call to prayer while on the rooftop looking out over the city was definitely moving. There were a few inconveniences and restrictions, but all in all, we did have a great trip during the Ramadan. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Arnon says

    4th May 2018 at 2:11 am

    Hello and thank you for sharing your experience. I was worrying about my time in Ramadan in Morocco & now I think I was lucky to book my visit there during Ramadan and Eid

    Reply
  3. Jawad Hillali says

    20th July 2016 at 5:33 pm

    Let me know if you come back again to agadir !
    Maybe i can help you
    Message me here :
    https://www.facebook.com/Jawad.Knays.Hillali

    Reply
  4. Khadir Hanbali (@KhadirHanbali) says

    27th August 2014 at 2:02 am

    What a great experience ! you are definitely welcome again !

    Reply

Spark a conversation! Cancel reply

Jess is an an award-winning UK travel blogger based in North Yorkshire, providing you with inspiration for both local and global adventures.

Read More

Looking for something in particular?

Subscribe

Never Miss a Post!

Latest Posts

Mediterranean Cruise Itinerary: Visiting 6 ports in 7 days

Family-friendly glamping in the Lake District with Feather Down Farms

An Indulgent Escape at Columbia Beach Resort, Cyprus

Follow on Instagram

What can I say, ya gals a foodie 😝🍴 #trave What can I say, ya gals a foodie 😝🍴 

#travelfoodie #eattheworld #globaleats #worldeatery #eeeeats #worldfood
Hello 2023! 🤍 A clean page, a fresh start. I h Hello 2023! 🤍 A clean page, a fresh start.

I had too many words about 2022 for a caption, so I’ve put them all into a blog post. 

My “2022 year in review” is live on The Travelista. It’s a longer, personal blog post about lessons, learnings, achievements and travels from year just gone, as well as my hopes and goals for 2023. I’ve put a link on stories for anyone interested. 😊

Wishing you a healthy, happy, adventure-filled New Year ✨

Photo: collecting shells on Cleethorpes beach during Twixmas 🐚
My 2022 travel recap ✨ 17 destinations across My 2022 travel recap ✨ 

17 destinations across 9 countries. My son stepped foot in 3 new countries and I got to bring him on 6 trips with me, including his first cruise. Wow ♥️

I’m finding a new rhythm for travelling with (and sometimes without) a little one and can’t wait for what’s to come in 2023.

Whether you’re new here or you’ve followed my journey for years, thank you so much for being here, for every like, comment and share. It is this amazing, supportive and loyal community that has enabled me to quit my job this year and return to doing this full time again post Covid. 

What was the most memorable place you’ve visited in 2022? ♥️

Where I went in 2022: 

Abu Dhabi
Cyprus 
Marbella 
Bruges 
Amsterdam
Guernsey 
Lake District 
Newcastle
Edinburgh 
Whitby
Lake District II
Almuñécar
Barcelona 
Gibraltar 
Marseille 
Rapallo
Florence

That’s a wrap! See you in 2023 🎥
A little snapshot into our Christmas, the first on A little snapshot into our Christmas, the first one in our new home, blending our families and hosting for 9. ☺️🥂 Hope you all had a lovely day 🎄

Merry Christmas from my family to yours ♥️.
Before I sign off for a little Christmas social me Before I sign off for a little Christmas social media break, here’s a festive photo dump of the past week + sharing my favourite poem🕯🎄🥂

Featuring 

➕ A lunch to @bettys with the girls. Making a new tradition. 
➕ A family visit to @castle_howard for their spectacular #IntotheWoods Christmas experience. Phenomenal. We go every year and it just gets better and better.
➕ Carols by candlelight at our local church - magic - but so many layers because the heating was broken!
➕ Dust if you Must by Rose Milligan. The perfect tonic in the (potentially stressful) build up to Christmas. 

We are hosting family this year and I’m excited! I’d love my house to look like a festive show home but it doesn’t, and that’s ok. (I have a 4 year old making mess twice as fast as I can tidy it). 

Fellow hosts, don’t be so busy ‘dusting’ that you miss all the little moments of magic! I’m reminding myself of this too. Swipe to read the poem and you’ll get it. ♥️

Wishing you a perfectly imperfect Christmas 🎄 

Love Jess x
ad Come with me and my Mum to do some last minute ad Come with me and my Mum to do some last minute Christmas shopping at @junction32. 🎁 

We are all feeling the pinch this year with the rising cost of living, so I set myself a challenge to find gifts for under £30. By shopping at outlets like Junction 32, which has over 80 brands offering up to 60% off the retail price, your money truly does go so much further. ♥️

What gifts I bought;

✔️ Slippers from @radleylondon RRP £40 J32 Price £20
✔️Himalayam charcoal gift set from @thebodyshop RRP £36.00 J32 Price £29.50
✔️Wax cheese wheels from independent retailer @themousehouse_lincoln £3 for £16
✔️Children’s cutlery set from @procookuk RRP £10 J32 Price £7

As usual J32 had some brilliant items on offer and a huge amount of choice, even this far into December.

Have you got any last minute Christmas shopping to do? I think I am finally done! 🛍 

#outletshopping #junction32 #junction32shoppingcentre #j32 #yorkshireoutletshopping

Subscribe

Never miss a post! Subscribe for Travelista updates and newsletters

The Travelista on YouTube

  • 3847likes
  • 19680followers
  • 9865followers
  • 2060subscribers

Copyright © 2023 · Design by Gatto

Copyright © 2023 · The Travelista on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Privacy Policy
  • FAQ
  • Contact