100km south of Agadir on the Atlantic Coast are a small village of troglodyte caves. Once owned entirely by local fishermen, a number are now owned and rented out at Aglou. We decided to stay in a cave for a night on our way down to Sidi Ifni. Here’s what we thought of it and how you can stay in one too.
Cave Life
Dug into the cliff rocks and overlooking the wild waves, some of these caves provide homes for local fishermen who live in natural simplicity. You can walk up and down the beach and see how different each cave is.
Most have facades similar to houses (although not all) and some have outhouses that have been built adjacent to them. Some caves are literally a door that leads into an open room, others are more elaborate and have bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms and sun terraces.
The Beach At Aglou
The beach is particularly long and sandy although low tide reveals a series of rocks which you can explore. The sea was very rough when we went and in summer it is only slightly less so. You CANNOT swim here. The tide is too strong and there are signs frequently reminding you not to swim. The beaches are not patrolled either.
Exploring The Rock Pools
The waves here are incredibly big and strong and only at low tide can you explore the rock pools. I don’t think there was anything particularly stunning in there but it kept the kids quiet for at least an hour.
Running Up And Down The Beach
Kids never seem to feel the cold, especially when they have a large expanse of sand to conquer. Needless to say it kept ours happy for hours and if you have kids who love to explore and run independently, this is a great beach to do so.
The Area Around The Caves
The landscape behind the caves is made of compacted sand dunes and dry wild crops where you can see shepherds wandering with sheep and goats. All of the roads leading to the caves are sand tracks. You don’t need a 4×4 as the roads are quite hard but when parking up you’ll need to watch how soft the sand is.
Sleeping In The Cave
Although there was technically only one large bed and two other sofa beds for the kids, they all decided they were going to sleep in the big bed with us! It turned into one giant slumber party in our sleeping bags which was great, given how cold we all were (not unusual for the height of winter!).
Waking Up To The Roar Of The Waves
This area of Morocco is renowned for having THREE HUNDRED days of sunshine per year, so it was unusual to have a full on storm with torrential rain, even if it was winter. The wind powered some enormous waves and the noise of them crashing was deafening from the beach. It made me jump many times.
During the night I would wake up periodically to hear them roaring. It became comforting to hear them in the distance and know they weren’t so close as to sweep us all away lol. In the morning, the clouds parted briefly and we got some sunshine. We ate breakfast overlooking the Atlantic and watching the tide roll out. Not a bad view, at all.
There Might Not Be Any Electricity In Winter
Once the sun set it was exceptionally dark with no light pollution and our solar panel didn’t work. For one night it was all very exciting and we mustn’t forget that we were there in winter and there had been two days of rain. I’m not sure if I could cope with more than one night in the winter though.
Having Breakfast On The Sun Terrace
The sun just managed to pop up between the clouds for long enough for us to eat our breakfast out there. I can imagine in the summer, it must be wonderful to sit here, watch the sea and soak up the warmth of the sunshine.
Sadly There’s A Bit Of Rubbish Too
Some Moroccans seem to have no respect for their natural environments. Everywhere we went, we saw rubbish piled high by the side of roads, outside houses, on mountainsides and at Aglou is no exception.
You can tell the caves owned by locals as there are generally mounds of rubbish outside the embankment leading down on to the beach. The rubbish washed up onto the beach here isn’t as bad as Taghazout but it is still very evident.
An Unforgettable Experience
All in all, this was such a great experience for our kids and we can wholeheartedly recommend it. I would avoid going in winter again as we were very cold but in summer this would be a awesome way to spend a few days or even a week.
How To Book This Cave Yourself
If you’d like to visit Aglou or stay in a cave too, you can through AirBNB. Just click this link and search.
What Else Can You Do In Morocco?
