Thomas describes Morocco as the destination he finds most difficult to give a single recommendation for — because the right answer depends almost entirely on what kind of holiday the guest actually wants. Here is how he explains it.
Agadir is Morocco’s beach resort — and in Thomas’s view, one of the most underrated winter sun destinations available to UK travellers. A 10-kilometre arc of golden Atlantic sand, more than 300 sunny days per year, and a modern, easy-to-navigate resort city rebuilt entirely from scratch after the 1960 earthquake. There is nothing in Agadir that feels difficult or unfamiliar for a UK guest. The promenade is walkable, the taxis run on meters, the beach is clean and wide, and the all inclusive hotel infrastructure is well-developed and consistent in quality.
What sets Agadir apart from Thomas’s perspective is its reliability in the months when other destinations cannot compete. In January and February, when the Aegean is grey and Antalya is closed, Agadir is offering 18–20°C sunshine on a beach that has no off-season. For guests who want a cheap Morocco holiday in the winter months, or families who need the guaranteed warmth of an Atlantic resort outside the European summer, Agadir answers the brief better than almost anything else in the GotoBeach portfolio at that price point. Day trips from Agadir add genuine variety: Paradise Valley, a series of natural rock pools in the Atlas foothills, is one of the finest half-day excursions Thomas recommends; the Berber markets of the surrounding countryside offer a completely different version of Morocco from the beach.
Marrakech is a different proposition entirely — and, in Thomas’s assessment, one of the most extraordinary short-break destinations in the world within a four-hour flight of the UK. The medina, enclosed within 19 kilometres of pink medieval walls and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a city within a city: a labyrinth of souks, hammams, mosques and riads that has operated continuously for over a thousand years and shows no particular interest in becoming easier to navigate. That is part of what makes it remarkable.
Thomas recommends Marrakech for guests who want to be genuinely moved by a destination — not just comfortable in it. Jemaa el-Fnaa square at dusk, when the food stalls appear and the musicians take their positions, is one of the great evening experiences in travel. Dinner in a riad courtyard, under an open sky, with the call to prayer drifting across the rooftops, is the kind of thing guests describe when they come back and try to explain why they are already thinking about going again. The Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Jardin Majorelle and the souks of the medina each deserve a morning or afternoon of their own. Marrakech rewards guests who lean into it — and slightly overwhelms those who do not know what they are arriving into.
Thomas’s standard recommendation for guests who want both: a twin-centre Morocco holiday combining three nights in Marrakech with four nights in Agadir. The drive between the two cities takes approximately three hours through the Atlas Mountains — a journey that is, in itself, worth making. GotoBeach can book this as a single ATOL-protected package. It is the Morocco holiday Thomas would choose for himself.
For cheap Morocco holidays, luxury Morocco holidays or Morocco all inclusive packages in Agadir or Marrakech — book through GotoBeach and you are booking with a team that has been there, knows the difference between the two, and will tell you honestly which one is right for you.
