Morocco Taghazout girly holiday recommendations

[Superwomann]

Any recommendations for hotels and things to do near Agadir in Morocco? Things to avoid? We are deciding between Crete, Sorrento or Tahazout/ Tamaragh, but leaning towards Morocco. We are a little bit hesitant about it, I guess because of the unfamiliarity.
We are planning a girly holiday ( well, knackered mums time away) and are thinking of Morocco.
We will go at the beginning of November and would like some sun/ beach, good food and a great hotel. A few of us like hiking so it a bonus if you know of any treks/ hikes nearby.
We are open for other locations and recommendations!

You'll be fine with DH. There seems to be a really weird thing there with women who aren't accompanied by a man

25 years ago I was harassed beyond belief. Every man, 8 to 80 would feel the need to comment. It wasn’t terribly threatening or anything, just not very nice.
Had hoped things had changed.
If you are with a man of course it’s different.

I love Morocco, if I had the money I would live there.

Same. I went with my mum the first time, a partner the second time and a couple of female friends the third time. I wasn’t hassled any more than in other countries. It was mostly men trying to persuade us to eat at the restaurant/ stall where they worked but nothing aggressive or sexual.

Oh God I adore Essaouira. And it has the silver smith at the top of my list too!

Have you tried Erfoud for an entirely different experience? Not many people go there, but highly recommended. The Hotel Xaluca Maadid is to die for - you could spend a week in the bathrooms looking at all the fossils in them! And there's loads to do in the area.

@SirHumphreyRocks. No, but Erfoud is on our shortlist for our next trip. I assume it’s good for stargazing as it’s in the desert? The last time we went to Morocco we stayed in Sidi Kaouki, which is one of the nicest places I’ve ever been.

Yes lovely - but just a little bit too far from my favourite silversmith. Years of training have gone into five hour long shopping sprees!

But yes, for Erfoud that hotel isn't the cheapest but so worth the price. There aren't many places in the world that are worth "can I have the same room?" Lots of desert trip variety but I would go for a camel trip at least one night over in a bedouin encampment. The only better place for the stars I have ever been were the Himalayas. Include some fossil shops even if just for the experience.

Off the beaten track things - the Shrine of Shmuel Abu Hatziera in the cemetery just outside the town; and Gara Madouar (an old Portuguese fortress in the desert for no obvious reason at all!). The macaques in the atlas mountains park are fun if bad tempered.

You wouldn't regret a visit

Taghazout is fabulous, a real hidden gem just on the cusp of being developed. The beaches are lovely and virtually deserted and there are some excellent hotels. November is lovely weather wise

There were countless groups of western (American, Australian, French, Spanish) women there, shopping, in the restaurants, just walking around. I never saw anyone being harassed and most of them were dressed in normal summer clothing (I had my arms and legs covered the entire time I was in the medina). Saying that women literally can’t go out on their own there is just not true.

No woman I know has felt safe there on their own or with a group of women. I'm saying what is true based on direct experience and from what those I know have told me

And I am telling you that I have travelled on my own and with other women and my direct experience is that I have neither experienced nor heard of anyone being harassed. In fact the only place I ever hear it is on MN.

Tell me all you want! It doesn't change my own direct experience there nor that of my friends. This a place for people to share opinions and experiences- many of which will be different. Think you need to chill a bit

The smaller ones: La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera. You might need to fly to Tenerife and get an internal flight over.

Or you could go absolutely nuts and stay in La Graciosa and take the ferry over to Lanzarote for days out. It's beautiful but almost deserted (and makes a good pub quiz answer as the 8th inhabited Canary island).

We stayed at the Pickalbatros White Beach in Taghazout over New Year. The weather was warm (sunbathing weather) from about 10am to 4pm. Very chilly though at night and first thing. It's an adults only hotel, all inclusive, right on the beach, with a lovely promenade/walk way that is very safe.

The hotel was lovely, rooms were large and luxurious. Food and drink was really good and there was a roller skating waiter who did drinks orders around the pool. There were so many sunbeds anf even sofas around the pool, never had an issue getting a sunbed.

You can get into Agadir easily either by taxi or through an organised trip. I went with my partner and had no trouble - not sure if it was because I wasn't on my own.

The hotel was of a much better standard than any Spanish hotel I've stayed in but there is nothing much to do out of the hotel, whereas in The Canaries you can do different bars etc.