If you spend more than a day here, you'll ride in a grand taxi: an old white Mercedes or a newer Dacia, usually with more people in it than you'd think possible. They're the backbone of transport along this coast, they're cheap, and once you understand how they work they're easier than the bus.
Shared or private
There are two ways to use them, and the price is completely different.
- Shared: you pay for one seat, and the taxi picks up and drops off other people along the way. This is how locals travel. It's cheap, and you might end up squeezed next to a grandmother with a bag of oranges.
- Private (a "course"): you pay for the whole car and go straight where you want. More comfortable, much more expensive, and the only real option with surfboards and luggage.
Make it clear which you want before you get in. If you say nothing and you're the only passenger, some drivers will treat it as a private ride.
What it costs
Shared seats, roughly:
- Tamraght to Taghazout: about 5 dirhams
- Tamraght to Aourir: about 5 dirhams
- Tamraght or Taghazout to Agadir: about 10 to 15 dirhams
Private hire depends on the time of day, your bargaining and how many boards you've got, but as a guide:
- Tamraght to Taghazout: 50 to 100 dirhams
- Taghazout or Tamraght to Agadir: 100 to 250 dirhams
For more fares, see what a ride should cost.
How to catch one
- On the coast: stand by the main road and wave. A taxi with a free seat going your way will stop. Say where you're going and it'll either nod or drive off.
- In Agadir: the main rank is at Place Salam, where taxis for the coast wait and leave as they fill up.
- Paying: cash, when you get out. Try to have the right money. For shared rides, just hand over the fare. Nobody expects you to negotiate a 5-dirham seat.
Agreeing a price for a private ride
Always agree the price before you set off, not at the end. Say where you want to go and ask "bshhal?" (how much?). If the first number sounds high, smile, offer a bit less, and meet in the middle. If you're going somewhere and coming back, like Paradise Valley, agree the waiting time too. Ask your guesthouse what the normal price is before you go out. It's the easiest way not to overpay.
Many drivers along the coast will give you their WhatsApp number so you can book them again. See local taxi drivers for drivers people recommend.
From the airport
Taxis from Agadir airport have fixed prices: about 300 dirhams for the car to Taghazout, Tamraght or Aourir, and about 200 into Agadir, with a small extra charge for big bags. Cash only, and they're there around the clock. More in getting here from the airport.
Petit taxis and apps
- Petit taxis, the small coloured taxis, work inside Agadir. Ask for the meter, "le compteur", before you set off.
- Apps: Uber isn't here. inDrive works in Agadir, but it isn't licensed, and drivers can be fined, so it's not something to rely on for the coast. A driver's WhatsApp number is still the local way.
A few words that help
- "Salam" to say hello when you get in
- "Bshhal?" for how much
- "Hna, afak" (here, please) when you want to get out
- "Shukran" for thank you