A Costa Smeralda Agadir call usually runs from 08:00 to 17:00, which gives you about seven usable hours; Explora II typically stays from 09:00 to 16:00, which gives you about five. On both ships the morning is your window: the rides that fit all start in the morning or around midday, and nothing in the late afternoon works. This guide sets out what fits each ship, why big-ship disembarkation matters, and how to choose between the ship's excursions and booking locally.
Costa Smeralda Agadir and Explora II at a glance
Two very different ships share one thing in Agadir: a day that ends mid-afternoon.
- Costa Smeralda from Costa Cruises is a large ship. In our current calendar it usually calls 08:00-17:00, with one call 06:00-16:00.
- Explora II belongs to Explora Journeys, the luxury brand of the MSC Group. It typically calls 09:00-16:00.
Neither line publishes all-aboard times in our data, so the site assumes all-aboard 30 minutes before departure. We then plan to have you back at the terminal 60 minutes before that.
| Costa Smeralda (08:00-17:00) | Costa Smeralda (06:00-16:00) | Explora II (09:00-16:00) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earliest pickup | 08:30 | 06:30 | 09:30 |
| Assumed all-aboard | 16:30 | 15:30 | 15:30 |
| Back at terminal by | 15:30 | 14:30 | 14:30 |
| Usable time | 7 hours | 8 hours | 5 hours |
Read the real all-aboard time in your daily programme the evening before. If it is earlier than the table shows, fewer rides fit. The call page for your date on our cruise calendar lists only the starts that pass.
Big-ship disembarkation: give it time
Costa Smeralda carries a lot of people, and on a short call most of them want to go ashore at the same time. Our rule of 30 minutes from docking to the cruise terminal gate is a minimum; on a ship this size it can take longer, especially in the first hour. Two practical tips:
- Do not book the earliest possible start if you are not sure you can be off the ship early. A 10:00 start is far more relaxed than 09:00.
- Have your cruise card and the photo ID Costa asks for ready before you queue. You will need both to get back into the port.
Explora II is a much smaller ship, so getting off is usually quicker. The 30-minute allowance still applies, because the walk from the berth to the gate inside a working commercial port takes time whatever ship you are on. Our Agadir port guide explains the gate and the transport waiting there.
What fits on Costa Smeralda (08:00-17:00)
- 2-Hour Camel Nature Ride, 18 €: 10:00 (back 12:30) or 12:00 (back 14:30). Eucalyptus trails to the Souss River, mint tea, a handler with every camel.
- Flamingo River Camel Ride with Mint Tea, 18 €: 10:00, back by 13:30. Coastal dunes and forest to the Oued Souss, mint tea and pastries at the camp.
- Quad Bike and Camel Ride with Moroccan Tea, 19 €: 09:00 (back 13:30) or 10:00 (back 14:30). Automatic quad with a safety briefing, a camel ride across sand, tea in a Berber tent.
- Quad, Camel Ride and Sandboarding at Takate, 20 €: 09:00, 10:00 or 11:00. The 11:00 start brings you back at 15:30, exactly on the margin.
- Also fitting: the camel ride with a Moroccan meal at 10:05 (daytime, not sunset), and the goats-and-Crocoparc trips at 09:00.
What fits on the early Costa Smeralda call (06:00-16:00)
The early call moves everything forward. You can be picked up from 06:30 and need to be back by 14:30. That adds an 08:00 quad bike and camel start, an 08:00 Timlalin dunes trip (a morning version, not a sunset), and an 08:00 private Taroudant half day. The camel ride fits at 10:00 or 12:00, the Flamingo River ride at 10:00, and the Takate trip at 09:00 or 10:00.
What fits on Explora II (09:00-16:00)
With pickup from 09:30 and a 14:30 return, Explora II has the shortest window of the three patterns:
- 2-hour camel ride at 10:00 or 12:00.
- Flamingo River camel ride at 10:00.
- Camel ride with a Moroccan meal at 10:05.
- Quad bike and camel ride at 10:00.
- Takate quad, camel and sandboarding at 10:00, back at 14:30, exactly on the margin.
For a small-ship guest who wants something calm and unhurried, the 10:00 camel nature ride is the obvious choice: back by 12:30, with time left for lunch on board or a look at the Kasbah hill above the port.
What does not fit either ship
Sunset rides and dinners, the Tamri beach horse ride and the Timlalin afternoon trips all start at 15:00 or later and run for four hours. On a call that ends at 16:00 or 17:00 they are simply impossible. If an evening ride matters to you, our sunset camel ride guide shows which ships have the hours for it.
Paradise Valley is also a poor fit on these calls. It is a long, partly winding drive inland, and we do not sell trips there. Our Paradise Valley or camel ride comparison explains why.
Worked example: Costa Smeralda, 08:00-17:00
The ship is alongside at 08:00. You have breakfast, queue for the gangway and reach the gate at about 08:45. At 10:00 the driver collects you for the quad bike and camel ride. You get a short safety briefing, practise on the automatic quad, ride across the sand, swap to a camel and finish with mint tea and sweets in a Berber tent. You are back at the terminal by 14:30. All-aboard, assumed at 16:30, is two hours away, and our 60-minute margin is intact with an hour to spare. If your daily programme shows an all-aboard of 16:00, this start still fits.
Worked example: Explora II, 09:00-16:00
You are at the gate by 09:30. At 10:00 you start the 2-hour camel nature ride: about an hour and a half on a dromedary through eucalyptus to the Souss River, with photo stops and mint tea. You are back at 12:30, three hours before the assumed all-aboard of 15:30.
Practical notes for a short call
- Money. Rides are paid online in euros, so you need no dirhams for them. Carry a little Moroccan cash for tips, drinks or a souvenir; cards are not accepted everywhere in town.
- Phone. Save our WhatsApp number before you leave the ship. The exact meeting point at the gate arrives by WhatsApp the day before. Morocco is outside the EU, so EU roaming rules do not apply: check your tariff.
- Clothes. Closed shoes, sun cream, sunglasses, a hat and a light scarf against wind and sand. On the quad trips, wear clothes that can get dusty. Our what to wear guide has the full list.
- Clock. All our times are Agadir local time. If you have come from the Canary Islands, Agadir is usually an hour ahead in winter; go by the time your ship announces.
- Mobility. Camels walk slowly and a handler leads each one. Tell us about any mobility needs when you book.
Ship excursions or booking independently?
Costa and Explora both offer their own excursions in Agadir. The main advantage is that the ship organises them around its own schedule. When you book independently, the ship does not wait for you; that is why our margin exists, and why it is planning rather than a guarantee. Our ship excursions versus independent tours page goes through the trade-offs honestly.
Booking with us means a start time already checked against your call, small groups, pickup and drop-off at the terminal, and a per-person price in euros paid online by PayPal or card. The website and booking are available in Italian, French and other languages; on the ride, our team speaks English and French. If your ship changes its schedule, message us on WhatsApp and we will move your ride or refund you in full if no time works. Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before the start.
For more line-by-line hours, see the Agadir cruise port schedule.
Book your morning
Find your ship and date in the cruise calendar to see only the rides that fit. On either ship, the 2-hour camel nature ride at 10:00 is the safest, simplest way to use a short Agadir call, at 18 € per person.
