Hot Air Balloon Agadir: Sunrise Over the Souss Valley

There is no engine noise and no road. Once the balloon is off the ground you travel with the wind, and the only sound is the burner firing now and then. Below you sits the whole Souss Valley, the edge of Agadir, the coastline and the small villages scattered across the foothills of the Atlas.

Your morning begins well before sunrise. We collect you from your hotel in Agadir, Taghazout or Tamraght while it is still dark and drive out to the launch field, where the pilot and ground crew are already at work. You watch the envelope fill and rise as the sky starts to grey. After a short safety briefing you climb into the basket and lift off. The climb is so gentle that you barely feel it. Your pilot reads the wind and steers by changing height, pointing out the landmarks below and telling you what you are looking at.

The flight runs for about an hour. The landing is soft and controlled, on open ground, with the crew already waiting. Then comes the traditional part: a glass of sparkling wine, breakfast served out in the field, and your flight certificate handed over by the pilot. Flights go out every day of the year when the weather allows. Bring layers, because the field is cold before the sun clears the hills, and flat closed shoes for the landing.