You don't need a car to stay in Taghazout or Tamraght. You can walk to the beach, the buses and taxis cover the coast road, and parking in the villages is a pain. But if you want to chase swell up to Boilers and Imsouane, or do Paradise Valley on your own schedule, a car or scooter for a few days changes everything.
Renting a car
- Where: the easiest pick-up is Agadir airport. Many local companies will also deliver to your guesthouse.
- Price: a small economy car usually runs from around 18 to 35 euros a day, and often less if you book early or rent for a week. Winter and school holidays cost more.
- Insurance: check what's actually included. Basic cover often comes with a large excess, and paying a bit more to reduce it is usually worth it.
- Deposit: most companies want a card deposit, and how much depends on the insurance you pick.
- Before you drive off: walk round the car with the agent and photograph every scratch, the tyres and the fuel gauge. Ten minutes now can save a long argument later.
Your licence
Rental companies usually accept a European or UK licence on its own. You normally need to be at least 21 and have held your licence for a couple of years. If your licence isn't in the Latin alphabet, you'll need an International Driving Permit, and even if it is, carrying one is the safest bet: the rules aren't always applied the same way at every checkpoint.
Driving the coast road
The N1 is the road that runs along the coast, from Agadir through Aourir, Tamraght and Taghazout, and on towards Tamri and Essaouira. It's beautiful and it's busy.
- Expect everything: slow lorries, overtaking on blind bends, grand taxis stopping without warning, people crossing, the odd goat.
- Checkpoints are normal. Police stop cars at the entrances to towns. Slow down, be polite, and have your passport, licence, rental contract and insurance to hand.
- Speed cameras sit at town entrances and exits and on long straight roads. Keep to the limits.
- Avoid driving at night if you can. Lighting is poor and not everyone uses their headlights.
- Fuel costs around 15 dirhams a litre in 2026. Stations are easy to find near Agadir and Aourir, much less so further north, so fill up before you head for Imsouane.
Parking
The lanes in both villages are narrow, steep and made for people, not cars. Park on or near the main road and walk in. You'll often see a man in a hi-vis vest who "looks after" the cars. Give him a few dirhams when you leave. At the surf spots, don't leave anything in sight in the car, and don't hide your key under the wheel.
Scooters
A scooter is the local favourite for getting between the villages and the spots. Rentals in Taghazout start from around 100 dirhams a day. You'll need to leave a deposit or your ID.
- Wear a helmet, always, even for a five-minute ride. Make sure the rental includes one that actually fits.
- Carrying a surfboard on a scooter is common here and it's also how a lot of accidents happen. With a big board, or a big swell and a crosswind, take a taxi.
- Check the brakes and the tyres before you go, and ask what happens if it breaks down.
- Check your travel insurance covers scooters. Many policies don't.
Do you actually need one?
For a week of lessons in Tamraght: no. For a surf trip where you want to follow the best spot each day, or you're travelling as a group: probably yes. Split between four people, a car often costs less than taxis. And for everything in between, grand taxis and the coast buses do the job.