The first village to emerge in Morocco was Al Hoceima in 1963. Facing the Pinon, a small Spanish fort located on an islet, Al Hoceima was located in the heart of a eucalyptus forest in a national natural park. A village of huts from the moment it opened, Al Hoceima was focused on tennis and horse riding. Inaugurated in 1963 by
Hassan II, King of Morocco, the GM had to transit through Tangier or Rabat before arriving after long hours of bus to the village. Being aware of the problem that this caused for the GM and the club, Hassan II offered, in 1964, the construction of an international airport 2 steps from the village. Al Hoceima closed in 2003 for economic reasons. On February 24, 2004, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale caused many victims in this wilaya
In 1966, the Club Méditerranée opened the village of Agadir. This initiative was daring, but would mark the beginning of the tourist boom for the region. 6 years ago, Agadir was hit by a violent earthquake measuring 5.7 degrees on the Richter scale. This earthquake, the deadliest in Moroccan history (15,000 victims and around 30,000 injured), destroyed most of the city of Agadir.
The club was the first tourist complex to be established and was able to have a prime location, directly on the beach. In Agadir, the club scored a double victory since it is the first village of the club built in hard material open all year round. The star activity is golf with the famous golf course of the dunes located a few kilometers from the village. High-level international competitions are held there regularly.
What really struck the GOs in Agadir was the first village where a GO had his own room...
HURP GO, two seasons in Agadir
Former sailing GO during the university holidays between 1968 and 1972, I then continued to attend the club as a GM. It was the good old days of Club Med, when the informal address was de rigueur, when we ate at tables of 8 people, when the villages only accommodated a few hundred people, when the evening entertainment was fun.
I no longer recognize today's Club Med at all, the villages are gigantic, some tables in the restaurants are reserved for vacationers who order wine from the menu, like in Gregolimano for example, registration for paid water skiing or sailing courses is essential if you want to be able to do a little more than a 3-minute tour or a 30-minute outing per day. The price of the rooms varies according to the exposure, the view. The GMs who now pay the full price have become demanding and even sometimes grumblers.
For all these reasons, I stopped going to the club a few years ago, which no longer corresponds at all to the one from Gilbert Trigano's time, poor guy, if only he saw what Club Med has become!