Agadir

Agadir

Location: Morocco Atlantic coast
Type of village: Bungalows
Opening date: January 30, 1966
Year of closure: 2021

A little background: Late in the evening of February 29, 1960, the Moroccan city of Agadir was the epicenter of a strong earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale. The earthquake caused extensive damage to the old kasbah and left more than 12,000 people dead and 25,000 injured. Today, this earthquake remains the most destructive and deadly in modern Moroccan history.

Rebuilding Agadir without delay, such was the will of King Mohamed V, and would become the mission of the Crown Prince, the future King Hassan II. The first stone of the new Agadir, located a little further south, was laid at the end of June 1960.

In 1963, Hassan II met Gilbert Trigano at the inauguration of the Al Hoceima village and asked Gilbert Trigano to establish the second Moroccan village in Agadir. Indeed, with the city having been designed and being rebuilt, the Crown Prince wanted to revitalize and boost the region, which had been devastated. What better place to do this than with Club Méditerranée? The Club's village would be the first hotel complex to be established on the beach in Agadir. The year was 1965.

This time, the club is innovating. The village is planned to operate year-round, while other villages are still in this seasonal period. The housing is also different. It won't be a village of huts like in Al Hoceima, but a permanent village. A hotel village.

Agadir was born from the talent of Jean Weiler and the design office of Club Méditerranée.    

The village spreads over 4 hectares along the ocean at the level of a dune that had to be tamed and fixed with eucalyptus trees. Two series of bungalows where the rooms are installed are designed. The first, among the eucalyptus trees, consists of bungalows on one level. The second, certainly the one that gives the village its character, is located on the dune. The bungalows are built in terraces on 3 levels and follow the shape of the dune. Stairs provide access to each level. At the top, there is access to the hammam and the famous Moorish café.
Each of the bungalows constitutes a room with a terrace, bathroom with shower and heating for the winter season.

A little further away, we find the nerve center of the village with the main bar and the main restaurant which, since its opening in 1966 for the first time at the club, has offered a so-called dietetic buffet alongside the traditional buffet. The bar and the restaurant have huge bay windows. They overlook the swimming pool and its solarium which provide access to the immense beach of Agadir.

The village's charm has been carefully considered. In addition to the eucalyptus trees, a small path winds through the village, serving each part of it. A small bridge spans a small river, along the banks of which a few rugs are spread. The village entrance gate, with its majestic double wooden door, is also one of the village's symbols, as is the Moorish café.

The village opened on January 30, 1966, but the downside was that it didn't have the expected success. Most likely, the "displayed luxury" aspect was a scary one. Mireille DARC, ZATOPEK, Françoise SAGAN, and Régine were among the visitors. The village struggled to fill up in the first few seasons, but Agadir would, over time, become one of the legendary Club Méditerranée villages.

Now let's talk about sports, because Agadir also has its own particularity. Due to its hotel village concept, land sports, established in the summer of 1967, are located a few kilometers away in a place that the Club calls the Ranch. About twenty horses at the start, 18 tennis courts, a restaurant where barbecue is served... To connect the two centers, a shuttle system provided by buses in the manner of a "road bridge" is set up. (System also set up a few years later in Marrakech between the village of the Medina and its sports area located in the palm grove.)   

And then in 1991, not far from the Ranch, the club opened the Dunes golf course, a 27-hole course (3 courses of 9 holes). It is considered one of the most beautiful and technical in Morocco.

Throughout its history, the village has undergone several renovations. The most recent was in 2005.

The Anthem of Agadir

It is inspired by Luis Mariano's song "Paris c'est du Champagne." The song was created in 1968 by Pierre Jean LAPLACE, then the village chief.

Agadir
is champagne
Agadir
is love
It is the land of plenty
Where we would like to live forever
...

Village Chiefs:

It was Judith BLITZ (Didy), Gérard BLITZ's sister, who opened the village on January 30, 1966. Among her team, in charge of traffic, was a certain Marcelle FAYT, also known as the Duchess, as well as a very young PS (service personnel) born in Agadir. His name will resonate for a long time in the history of the Club. His name: Ali IMANE

After Didy, Pierre LEVRARD, Jean BELIN, Tony HATOT and then Pierre Jean LAPLACE succeeded each other as village chief in Agadir. Jean Robert REZNIK began his career as village chief there in 1970.

The end:

Although since the mid-2010s, the village was said to be on borrowed time, the axe fell in March 2021 in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic. The reason is, according to information obtained from Club Med, that the village, sorry, the "resort" of Agadir no longer met the standards of quality and comfort that they are keen to offer to "their customers" (Q.E.D.: village incompatible with the move upmarket). For Club Med, the future in Morocco involves the expansion of the Marrakech Palmeraie and Yasmina resorts planned for 2022, as well as the opening of the new Essaouira village for December 2023.

As you have understood, the Club Méditerranée village of Agadir is now part of the long list of villages included in the Club's village paradise and in the Collierbar pages.