Fitness and wellbeing editor Emilie Lavinia explores the serene coastline of Agadir in search of top tier wellness experiences. I’ve visited Morocco to check into wellness retreats before, so this trip out to the northernmost tip of Africa isn’t my first visit. However, I’ve never set foot in Agadir – a location renowned for its surfing, pristine beaches and tranquil hotels replete with golf courses and yoga studios.
Agadir, one of Jet2holidays’ newest destinations in its wide range, is a short-haul flight from the UK and only one hour ahead, so if you’re embracing the slow travel trend, your sleep pattern won’t take too much of a hit. Plus you’ll step off the plane in four hours or less. Thanks to the attentive crew and VIP service on the plane, I arrive feeling rested and ready to enjoy what the Moroccan coastline has to offer.
Agadir typically enjoys temperatures between 21 and 28 degrees during the day and with more than 300 days of sunshine per year, it’s fast becoming a destination for those seeking a top up of vitamin D during the winter months. A stay in January takes me from the UK’s chilly climes to bright sunshine and cloudless skies in a matter of hours.The sight of palm trees, cacti and huge bursts of pink, red and lilac bougainvillea are enough to lift anyone’s mood. And on the ride to my hotel I’m able to enjoy the view from the window – an electric blue sky that stretches for miles out over the ocean like an optical illusion.
We pull up to the four-star Paradis Plage Resort after our return transfer (included with my Jet2holiday) to be greeted by terracotta walls with pretty tile details and a courtyard of lush fig and orange trees. My balcony provides a gorgeous view of the sea and a soothing soundscape of waves gently meeting the shore. The suite smells of orange blossom and there’s an array of fresh fruit, almonds and sultanas on the table in hand-painted bowls.
Paradis Plage Resort is a surfing and yoga resort – one of many venues in Agadir that prides itself on catering to the wellness crowd. The hotel spa occupies the entire basement floor, and within hours of arriving, I’m lathered in argan oil having the knots in my shoulders thoroughly worked out by a talented therapist. I’m told by hotel staff that during the high season, the beach is much busier. But at hotels like this, the guests aren’t usually sunning themselves with a cocktail in hand. They’re more likely to be up with the sun for a run along the sand or to scope out the waves for a pre-breakfast surf. This is a new kind of beach holiday, and one that I’m fully on board with as a wellness editor.
Like many of the other guests I commit to an early start, walking while it’s still dark and keen to see what’s in store at the sunrise yoga class. I’m surprised at how moving I find the experience. Karsten, our teacher, makes the session one of the highlights of the trip. He throws open the doors of the studio so we can hear the waves hit the beach and grins, asking us to bring all our positive feelings from this class home with us as we stretch and hold while the sun climbs over the water.
Later on I’m asked to stand in the middle of the room and have twenty strangers assess my downward dog. Back in London, this might have seemed like an odd ritual, but here, it’s reframed as an act of communion and a chance to shake off your inhibitions. I laugh through the experience and actually enjoy the helpful pointers I’m given – the vibes are good here. Staying on a half-board basis meant that all breakfasts and evening meals were included. I made the most of that after the class, enjoying a healthy breakfast of apricots dipped in yogurt and fresh mint tea poured from a great height – this is apparently the only way to serve tea in Morocco. I’m told later by my guide Youssef that the foam from a lengthy pour protects the tea from sand, dust and bacteria.
“If you hand a Moroccan person a glass of tea with no foam, they’ll tell you to drink it.” he says. By the time I leave, I’m a pro at the Saharan pour and I’ve earnt my stripes. My gut is also feeling pretty happy thanks to the soothing properties of the stewed mint leaves. During my stay on a half-board basis, I also feast on locally grown vegetables, fresh oranges and figs and plenty of Morocco’s healthiest and most delectable exports: argan oil and saffron.
Fans of freshly baked bread are guaranteed to enjoy the warm round loaves of khubz baked in clay ovens and of course, you can’t visit Morocco without sampling couscous and tagine. During my stay at Paradis Plage Resort I’m also able to enjoy a range of smoothies and mocktails from the hotel’s two restaurants. On my first night I opt for a detox cocktail on the beach under twinkling lights and night two sees me polish off a virgin colada. You can drink alcohol if you want to, but it’s good to know that more venues are offering low and no menus for guests who might want to swerve booze and wake up feeling fresh.
