Agadir Oufla — Berber for 'the fort above' — sits on a 236-metre hill overlooking the bay. Built in 1572 by the Saadian sultan to deter the Portuguese, the kasbah was destroyed by the 1960 earthquake; only the southern wall survived. A 2020–2024 restoration reopened the site, reachable by cable car.
Why visit
Agadir Oufla is the city's most visible landmark and the only major fragment of the pre-1960 town that survived the earthquake. The 2020–2024 restoration turned the ruined Saadian fortress into a memorial walk with the best panoramic view of the bay.
What to expect
A short, flat circuit on raised decking around the rebuilt walls, with interpretive panels on the Saadian, Alaouite and trading-port history of the kasbah. The original entrance gate carries the Arabic-Dutch inscription 'Fear God and respect the King'.
Best time
Late afternoon for the light — the bay glows at sunset. Avoid midday in summer; there is almost no shade on the hilltop.
How to combine
Take the cable car up from the station near the port, then descend on foot or by car and continue along the Corniche to the marina for dinner.
Price range
The restored kasbah is ticketed. International visitors pay 90 Dh for adults and 65 Dh for ages 7 to 17, 300 Dh for a family of four, or 75 Dh per person in groups of ten or more.
Moroccan and resident visitors pay 20 Dh for ages 18 to 64, 10 Dh for ages 7 to 17 and for over-65s, 50 Dh for a family of four, or 15 Dh per person in groups of ten or more. Children under 7 are not charged.
Extras are separate: an audioguide is 30 Dh, 20 Dh per person for a group audio tour, and a guided tour is 100 Dh. The cable car up the hill is a different ticket again, sold by Danialand.
Opening is 10:00 to 19:00, extended to 20:00 in summer and shortened to 16:30 during Ramadan, with last admission 30 minutes before closing.
The most popular option is the cable car (téléphérique) that runs from a station near the port up to the hilltop. The site can also be reached by car or taxi via the road that switchbacks up the hill.
Only the southern rampart survived the 1960 earthquake. The 2020–2024 restoration distinguishes original stonework from rebuilt sections by using two slightly different lime washes — the older parts are deliberately darker.
Yes. Many of the 1960 earthquake victims are still buried under the ruins. Visitors walk on a raised wooden deck rather than directly on the ground out of respect.
A full panorama of Agadir Bay, the fishing port, the marina, the Corniche, and on a clear day the southern beach all the way to the Souss estuary.