South to Agadir

23rd & 24th Jan


We stopped another day at Camping le Calme, the weather is great and very warm. We sat outside for most of the day, catching the rays and generally just chilling.
Saturday we packed up and left for Sidi Kaouki, a short distance along the coast South. We did a quick stop at Essaouira to get some cash and fresh food then headed back along the same road to Sidi Kaouki.

Horse drawn Taxi's in Essaouira

It is a small Berber village, set in a 5km bay, and is named after a 19th-century Marabout his dilapidated shrine by the sea still attracts pilgrims. Although we are yet to find it?

The campsite 31°20'58.7"N 9°47'45.7"W is situated 100 metres from the beach it has all the services plus wifi 85dir, we will probably stay here a few days.

 

 

After setting up I have my usual daily snack, a tin of sardines and a culf of bread. Morocco being the largest canned sardine exporter in the world and the leading supplier of sardines to the European market (Wikipedia) and they are so cheap and a nice snack.
A British van had pulled in later and I got chatting to them, they are also from the MHF, Colin and Sandra with their Border Terrier Izzy from Leicester. We had a brief chat,  they are stopping for a few days so we will have a beer or two with them later. Coincidently we are both cooking Tagine for supper tonight?
Sam got an email from another forum today, and they have included our blog on their website and a link to it  www.clubmotorhome.co.uk
It's a day of FA cup upsets? Swansea go out with a whimper in the early game, then later Chelsea, Man City, Spurs and our neighbours from down the road to boot, I really don't feel so bad now, but it's another poor performance by us!

25th - 27th Jan

We stayed at Sidi Kouiki for four days, the weather is getting hotter, far warmer than our best British summers, and there has not been a cloud in the sky for days. There is a lot of construction going on in the area again to cater for the tourists.

New apartments along the coast road

 

We have been going for walks with Colin and Sandra with the dogs, the last few days. The dogs have been getting on well, it has been nice for Max to socialise.

The Sidi Kouiki Four

Café 50m from the beach

One day we walked towards what appeared the end of the beach only to find that after the rocks on the far end, the beach continues for a few more kilometres, so it was nice to find a café and have a coffee. By 3pm the sun was overhead and it was scorching.

We found another campsite a few hundred metres along the road, It looks good, but on first impressions I prefer the one we are on.

 

Max and Izzy rock pooling

It's been nice to have company for a change. Sunday evening we spent sitting outside our van enjoying some refreshments and nibbles and last night we had a BBQ at their van.

 Our local Caterways store

 The Local Hotel

 Sidi Kouiki

A couple of restaurants along the front

Colin and Sandra left at noon today, they are heading into Essaouira for a few days, we will hopefully meet up further down the coast. We will be moving on tomorrow taking the coast road towards Agadir. I uploaded this video of some of the roads and villages we have passed through on our way down.

28th Jan


We left Sidi Kouiki and followed the coast road further down to a fishing village called Cap Tafelney 31°05'34.8"N 9°49'01.2"W ,had I knew what the road was like, I can tell you I would not have gone there.
We left the N1 and picked up a single track road P2226. it then started to climb the mountains fortunately being right hand drive I was on the inside, unfortunately I could still see the drop on the passenger side. There are no barriers just sheer drops with the odd passing cut into the mountain to allow vehicles to pass every few km. Then on the descent into the village you have to take a switchback bend a complete sharp U bend with a drop off straight over the cliff? Our lives were in Kevin O'Neils hands, so glad he sorted my brakes before we left.

 

 

The village and setting was a gem and we had planned to stay a few days, it was 30dir basic services, there were a few other vans there, and I asked a few if there was another road out, I was told yes but not suitable for Camping Cars? 

29th Jan

I did not sleep well last night, thinking about having to drive back along the road this time the drop would be on my side. So this morning I decided to leave and face it. Thirty minutes later we re-joined the N1, which was now feeling like a super highway compared to the P road, phew I would not want to do that again..
We are driving to Tagahzoute just outside Agadir the road passed through some nice villages on the way, one being a Banana plantation village Tamri . As we were driving I noticed another Van behind, and a few miles down the road we pulled over for Max, the van also pulled over it was Colin and Sandra they are also on their way to Tagahzoute, but are staying on guardian parking on the beach about 10km from where we are staying. We decided to have a coffee but our stopping brought all the children from the local village to see us, and after dispersing with our chocolates we moved further along the coast and had a brew.
We are staying at Camping Atlantica 140dir all in 30°35'19.3"N 9°44'54.7"W , it's expensive for over here, but I want a few days to get over my mountain crossing.
The site has everything including a swimming pool and water park. I notice a few British vans but 98% are French vans and the site can hold up to 600 vans and its nearly full?

We took Max for a stroll into the village and came across an area of ground that the French had taken over to play Boules.
The weather has been hot again today mid 30s, it is getting better as we drive south.