Cultural
Medina Polizzi from Taghazout: Berber Craft Village Visit
A surf village does not usually have a medina down the road, but Taghazout does. A short drive south, on the edge of Agadir, an Italian architect called Coco Polizzi spent years raising one by hand.
- Duration
- Approx. 2.5 hours
- Languages
- English / French
- Getting there
- Hotel pickup
- Group size
- Up to 30 people
The experience
About this trip
Most people come to Taghazout for the waves and go home without seeing much else. The Medina Polizzi is worth the detour. It is not an old quarter and it does not claim to be: Coco Polizzi, an Italian architect who made Agadir his home, drew up the whole place and had it built with traditional Berber methods and Atlas materials, as a memorial to the city the 1960 earthquake erased.
Twelve hectares of stone lanes, workshops, tiled courtyards and gardens, arranged like a village rather than a museum. Craftsmen carve wood, weave and make jewellery out in the open, and you can stop and watch for as long as you like. The architecture carries the visit on its own: zellige tilework, hand-carved doors, walls of rammed earth that hold the heat off.
The entry ticket is pre-paid and you have up to two hours to explore. We collect you from Taghazout or Tamraght and bring you back, so it slots easily into a rest day off the board.
Why this one
Highlights
- Walk 12 hectares of Medina Polizzi d'Agadir at your own speed
- See Berber building work in stone and earth from the Atlas
- Watch carvers, weavers and jewellers at their benches
- Tiled courtyards and Mediterranean gardens throughout
- Up to two hours on site with the entry ticket pre-paid
- Pickup and drop-off from Taghazout, Tamraght and Agadir
Your day
How the day runs
10:00 – Pickup in the village
We collect you from your hotel, guesthouse or surf camp in Taghazout or Agadir and head for the edge of the city.
10:15 – Tickets and entry
You reach the main gate and walk in. The ticket is already paid, so there is no queue.
10:30 – Inside the medina
Twelve hectares, all of it raised with the old techniques and stone from the Atlas.
11:00 – The workshops
The on-site workshops are where the woodcarving, weaving and jewellery making happen.
11:30 – Tilework and carving
Take a shaded courtyard seat and study the zellige tilework and the carved doors.
12:00 – Garden paths
The Mediterranean gardens are what stitch the quarters of the medina together.
12:15 – Back along the coast
Meet your driver at the gate and get comfortable for the return leg.
12:30 – Drop-off
Back at your accommodation in Taghazout or Agadir.
What is included
- Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel or guesthouse (Taghazout, Tamraght & Agadir)
- Air-conditioned vehicle for the day
- Pre-paid entry ticket to the medina
- Up to two hours on site at your own pace
What to bring
- Shoes that cope with gravel and stone
- Sun cream and a hat
- Your phone or a camera
- A bit of cash for anything you fancy buying
Know before you go
- The entrance ticket is in the price and paid up front.
- You get up to two hours inside.
- It is mostly open air, so plan for sun, though there is shade around.
- It is a modern rebuild of traditional architecture rather than an original medina.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is the Medina Polizzi a real medina?
Not in the historical sense. It was designed by Coco Polizzi, an Italian architect, and built with traditional Berber methods and Atlas materials to honour the Agadir lost in the 1960 earthquake.
Do I have to pay for a ticket on the day?
No, the ticket is part of the tour and paid ahead. Your driver gives it to you at the gate.
How long do we stay at the medina?
Up to two hours, at your own pace, through the lanes, the workshops and the gardens.
What will we actually see there?
Stone lanes, workshops where woodcarving, weaving and jewellery are done by hand, tiled courtyards, Mediterranean gardens and Berber construction across 12 hectares.
Is this the same as the Agadir city tour?
No. This trip is only the Medina Polizzi. The Agadir city tour takes in the Kasbah, the marina, the mosque and Souk El Had.
Do you pick up from Taghazout for this?
Yes. We collect and return you from Taghazout, Tamraght and hotels in Agadir.
Ready when you are
Book Medina Polizzi from Taghazout: Berber Craft Village Visit
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