On a Canary Islands and Morocco cruise, Agadir is usually the one day you spend on the African mainland, and it is worth using differently from the island stops. You leave the EU, switch to dirhams, show ID at the port gate and, in winter, usually put your watch forward an hour. In return you get things the islands cannot offer: camel rides through eucalyptus to a river estuary, dunes, mint tea and Moroccan food. Here is what changes and how to plan the day.
Why Agadir appears on so many Canary Islands cruises
Winter-sun cruises built around the Canary Islands need a little variety, and mainland Morocco is close. Lanzarote is the Canary island nearest to the Moroccan coast, and Agadir sits on that same Atlantic shore with a cruise terminal inside its commercial port. For the lines that call here, it adds a different country and a different culture to a week otherwise spent hopping between islands.
In our current winter calendar the lines calling at Agadir include AIDA, Mein Schiff (TUI Cruises), Marella and Costa, alongside several premium and luxury lines. We do not list their full itineraries, which change from season to season. What matters for your day is the hours your ship spends in Agadir, and you will find those on our cruise calendar.
Canary Islands cruise, Agadir stop: what changes when you step ashore
You are in Africa and outside the EU
The Canary Islands are part of Spain and the EU. Morocco is not. That affects several small but important things.
- Money. The currency is the Moroccan dirham, not the euro. Cards are not accepted everywhere in town. Our rides are paid online in euros before the day, so you need no dirhams for them, but a little local cash helps for tips, drinks and souvenirs.
- Mobile roaming. EU roaming rules do not apply in Morocco. A phone plan that worked in Tenerife or Gran Canaria at home rates may charge differently in Agadir. Check your tariff before you switch on data.
- ID at the gate. Agadir's cruise terminal sits inside a working commercial port. You leave and return through the cruise terminal gate, and you need your cruise card and the photo ID your ship asks for to get back in. Follow the instructions in your daily programme.
- Language. French and Arabic are spoken everywhere; English and Spanish are common in tourist places. On our rides the team speaks English and French.
The clock usually moves forward
In winter the Canary Islands use UTC+0. Morocco uses UTC+1 for most of the year, though it usually puts the clocks back one hour during Ramadan. So on a typical winter call Agadir is one hour ahead of the islands you have just left.
Your ship will announce its own "ship time", and that is the one to follow for all-aboard. Our call pages always show Agadir local time. If the two differ, compare them carefully before you book a start time. A one-hour misunderstanding is the easiest way to lose your margin.
Using the Agadir day differently from the island days
The islands give you beaches, promenades and volcanic landscapes. Agadir has a long beach too, but if you spend the day on a sunbed you could have done that in Lanzarote. The mainland is the place to do something you cannot do anywhere else on the route.
- A camel ride. Our 2-hour camel nature ride leaves from a ranch near the Royal Palace area and follows eucalyptus trails to the Souss River, with mint tea and photo stops. It costs 18 € per person, suits children and first-time riders, and a handler leads every camel. From November to April there is a chance of flamingos on the estuary, though it is never guaranteed.
- A ride with a Moroccan meal. The camel ride with BBQ dinner adds a Moroccan barbecue or a traditional Moroccan menu with mint tea, for 39 €. On most calls it runs as a daytime ride with the meal.
- Quad and camel. The quad bike and camel ride at 19 € combines an automatic quad, a camel ride across sand and tea in a Berber tent. Not for pregnant women or people with back problems.
- A beach horse ride. The Tamri beach horse ride at 75 € is a four-hour trip up the coast for a maximum of three riders, with photos included. It only fits long calls.
For a broader look at sights in and around the city, see Agadir in one day.
What fits by line on a Canary Islands and Morocco cruise
The hours below are typical patterns from our current calendar. The site assumes all-aboard 30 minutes before departure and plans to have you back at the terminal 60 minutes before that. Check your real all-aboard time in the daily programme the evening before.
| Ship (typical hours) | Back by | Camel ride (10) | BBQ ride (12) | Quad and camel (14) | Horse ride (17) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIDAblu (08:00-22:00) | 20:30 | 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 | 10:05, 12:05, 14:05 | 09:00, 10:00, 14:00, 16:00 | 15:00 |
| Mein Schiff Relax (08:00-22:00) | 20:30 | 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 | 10:05, 12:05, 14:05 | 09:00, 10:00, 14:00, 16:00 | 15:00 |
| Marella Discovery 2 (09:00-18:00) | 16:30 | 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 | 10:05, 12:05 | 10:00 | does not fit |
| Costa Smeralda (usually 08:00-17:00) | 15:30 | 10:00, 12:00 | 10:05 | 09:00, 10:00 | does not fit |
On the long AIDA and Mein Schiff calls, the BBQ ride's 17:05 sunset start does not fit: it would bring you back at 20:35, five minutes past our margin. The earlier daytime starts do. Line-specific detail is in our guides to AIDA in Agadir, Marella in Agadir and the Agadir cruise port schedule.
A worked example: a long winter call
Say your ship arrives from the islands at 08:00 and leaves at 22:00. On board, the clocks go forward an hour overnight, and the daily programme confirms Agadir time and an all-aboard of 21:30. You can be at the gate from 08:30 and need to be back at the terminal by 20:30.
You take the 10:00 camel ride and are back at 12:30. After lunch on board you go out again at 15:00 for the Tamri horse ride and return at 19:30, an hour before the margin. Two very different Moroccan experiences in one day, with the full buffer intact.
On a 09:00-18:00 Marella call, the same idea becomes one well-chosen morning: the 10:00 camel ride or the 10:05 BBQ ride, back by mid-afternoon.
Getting from the ship to the ride
You do not need a taxi or the shuttle for our rides. Pickup and drop-off at the cruise terminal are included: the driver waits at the gate with a sign showing your name, and we send the exact meeting point by WhatsApp the day before. If you want to see the town before or after, our Agadir port guide covers the shuttle, petit taxis and what is within reach.
Ship excursion or independent?
Your ship will offer its own Agadir excursions. The ship plans those around its schedule; it does not wait for independently booked tours. Our margin is planning, not a guarantee, and our honest comparison of ship excursions and independent tours helps you weigh it up. If your ship changes its Agadir times, message us on WhatsApp: we move your ride to a time that still fits, or refund in full if none works. Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before the start.
Plan your Moroccan day
Find your ship and date on the cruise calendar to see only the rides that fit, then book the 2-hour camel nature ride at 18 € per person: the simplest way to make the mainland day different from the islands.
