In short
It is about 175 km from Agadir to Essaouira, roughly 3 hours by the coast road. The easiest way is the coach: CTM takes 3 h to 3 h 15 for 110 dirhams one way (checked September 2026), with two departures a day. There is no train, because neither city has a railway station.
Agadir and Essaouira are joined by one road, the N1, which follows the Atlantic for 175 km through the argan forest. It is a fine road, and it is also the only one: no train, no flight, no inland shortcut.
So the real question is what you cover it in — and whether you take the time to stop, because that is what makes this journey worth having.
Distance, time and options
| Option | Time | Rough price | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTM or Supratours coach | 3 – 3 h 15 | 110 MAD per person | Almost everyone |
| Grand taxi | ~3 h | by the seat, close to the coach fare | Leaving without waiting for a timetable |
| Private transfer | ~3 h | depends on the car, negotiated | Families, luggage, boards |
| Hire car | 3 h without stops, a day with them | depends on the firm | Anyone who wants to stop |
By coach: CTM and Supratours
This is what most travellers do, and what we'd suggest if you're travelling light. Two serious companies run the route several times a day, with air conditioning, numbered seats and bags in the hold.
- CTM leaves from its own Agadir station and arrives at the Essaouira bus station. In September 2026 there were two departures a day, at 14:30 and 19:30 in the Essaouira to Agadir direction.
- Supratours, the coach arm of the railway company, drops you near Bab Marrakech, a few minutes' walk from the medina.
Expect 110 dirhams one way with CTM (checked September 2026). Book online, or at the counter the day before in summer and during Moroccan school holidays. Buy your return on arrival if your dates are fixed: the same coaches fill up in both directions.
One detail that catches people out: in Agadir many grand taxi departures and arrivals use Inezgane, the neighbouring town, rather than central Agadir. For coaches, check which station your ticket names.
By grand taxi
Shared grand taxis run the route by the seat: the car leaves when all six are sold. It's quick, flexible and cheap, but tight over three hours of bends.
You can also buy all the seats and leave at once, stopping where you like. Agree the total before you get in, never on arrival.
By car: the road that justifies the trip
Hire a car and this stops being a transfer and becomes a day out. The N1 leaves Agadir along the coast, passes the surf villages, climbs into the argan forest, then drops towards the bay of Essaouira.
Worth stopping for, south to north:
- Taghazout and Tamraght, the surf villages just north of Agadir: cafés, boards on roofs, an atmosphere nothing like the Agadir seafront.
- Imsouane, about twenty kilometres off the main road: a fishing village and one of the longest right-hand waves in Morocco. It's the most justified detour on the whole route.
- Tamanar and the argan forest: this is where you'll see the goats in the trees. Be aware that many are put there for the photograph, in exchange for a tip.
- The argan oil cooperatives along the road: choose a women's cooperative over a roadside shop — the oil is real and the price is fair.
Two driving notes: the road winds between Tamanar and Smimou, where the lorries are slow; and don't drive it at night if you can avoid it, because of unlit carts and animals.
By private transfer
A driver collecting you from your Agadir hotel or the airport, at a price agreed in advance, settles the luggage, the timings and the stops in one go. It's the expensive option, and the restful one with children or surf gear.
No train, no plane
There is no train. It isn't a question of timetables: neither Agadir nor Essaouira has a station, and Morocco's rail network stops at Marrakech. If you read somewhere that a train links the two, it's wrong.
There is no flight either. Both towns do have an airport, but over 175 km no airline has a reason to open a route. If you arrive from abroad via Agadir, you'll reach Essaouira by road — and that's no bad thing.
What about the other direction?
Plenty of visitors to Essaouira ask whether Agadir is worth a day trip. Our answer is no: the two places have nothing in common, and three hours each way leaves far too little time to understand the other. Spend a night, or don't go.
If you're still choosing between them for a holiday, we've compared them honestly: Essaouira or Agadir?
Arriving in Essaouira
The coach drops you a few minutes' walk from the ramparts, and the medina is pedestrian: a porter with a handcart takes your bags to the riad for a few tens of dirhams.
And if the coast road gave you an appetite for the wave at Imsouane, you can reach it from Essaouira too, as a day trip:
Common questions
How far is Essaouira from Agadir?
About 175 km on the coast road, the N1: 3 hours by car and 3 to 3 h 15 by coach. It is the only road — there is no faster inland route.
Is there a train from Agadir to Essaouira?
No, and there won't be soon: neither Agadir nor Essaouira has a station. Morocco's rail network stops at Marrakech in the south. Between the two towns, everyone takes the coach.
How much is the bus from Agadir to Essaouira?
110 dirhams one way with CTM in September 2026, plus a few dirhams per bag in the hold. Book online, or at the counter the day before in summer.
How long does the journey take?
3 hours by car or transfer, 3 to 3 h 15 by coach. The road is beautiful but winding in places, so leave yourself room if you have a flight to catch.
Can you do Agadir to Essaouira as a day trip?
You can, but it is 6 hours of driving for a few hours in town. If you can't stay the night, leave early: Essaouira is at its best in the morning, before the wind gets up.
Are there flights between Agadir and Essaouira?
No. Both towns have an airport, but no airline connects them: over 175 km the road always wins.
