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Thinking about a visit to Crocoparc in Agadir? In this complete guide, I’ve covered all the practical details of how to visit as well as what to expect when you’re there and if it’s actually worth visiting!
Whenever I hear someone mention crocodiles, it immediately piques my interest. There’s something about these ferocious reptiles that mixes feelings of fear and horror with curiosity and fascination!
So when I heard about a zoological park close to Agadir that’s home to over 300 crocodiles, I immediately added it to the itinerary of our most recent trip to the coastal city.
However, upon seeing the park entrance (which is a huge Disney-esque crocodile head sculpture), I had a sudden feeling that this place might actually be rather gimmicky and not the authentic and slightly chilling experience I was envisioning.
However, I needn’t have worried as our trip to Crocoparc was even better than we’d hoped! As we wandered and gazed at not only crocodiles but also iguanas, giant tortoises, monkeys and snakes, we were in absolute awe!
Of course, it doesn’t replace the experience of seeing crocodiles in the wild, but it does come close, and Crocoparc definitely ranks as one of our favourite wildlife parks we’ve ever visited!
What Is Crocoparc?
Crocoparc is a modern zoological park which features a botanical garden that is home to not only 325 Nile crocodiles, but also green iguanas, marmoset monkeys, giant tortoises, anacondas, pythons, and over 300 plant species – including our favourite, the cactus garden!
Visitors can follow the trail around the gardens, watch the animals go about their business, learn about the animals and plants through informational signs, and observe the feeding of the crocodiles. The last one is a definite highlight!
The park opened in 2015 with the aim of not only preserving the Nile crocodile and boosting tourism, but also raising awareness through education about the once endangered animal, which, up until the 1970s, could be found in and around Morocco’s Draa River.
It’s the only crocodile park of its kind in Morocco but facilities like this became important in Africa after the Nile crocodile nearly became completely extinct in the second half of the 20th century. This was as a result of excessive hunting, loss of habitat and water sources, among other factors.
Thankfully, the Nile crocodile is no longer considered endangered, but it’s still classed as a protected species.
Crocoparc also recently started caring for a small number of young West African crocodiles (sacred crocodiles) which, since the 1950s, haven’t been found in the wild in Morocco.
Is It Ethical?
The immediate concern with any type of wildlife park is whether it’s ethical or not, as we’ve all heard stories of the horrendous way animals can be plucked from the wild and inhumanely treated for pure profit. And we’ve seen this ourselves elsewhere in Morocco, notably in the Marrakech Medina, where monkeys and snakes are sadly exploited to make money from tourists.
Crocoparc though, doesn’t fall into that category as, while it of course benefits from tourist ticket sales, it’s not just about putting crocodiles on display for us to gawk at.
Instead, Crocoparc’s mission has been fuelled by a drive to preserve and protect the animal and plant species it takes in, as well as to educate and raise awareness about these species.
The park has also been established in a way to make the habitat comfortable and mimic their natural conditions. For the crocodiles, this includes the installation of sandy beach areas where they can warm in the sun and lay eggs, regulated burrows where they can stay cool, and ponds and waterfalls.
So, you can enjoy an educational and entertaining visit without having to worry about the treatment or conditions of the animals.
Next Read: Best Tours And Day Trips In Agadir
Where Is Crocoparc?
Crocoparc is located in the Souss Massa region of Morocco, just outside Agadir, in the small town of Drarga. It’s 12.5km (20 minute drive) southeast of Agadir city centre.
You can see exactly where it is in relation to Agadir in the map below.
How To Get There – Do You Need A Tour?
No matter where you’re staying in Agadir, you need transport to get out to Crocoparc. And while there are tours that you can join, we managed to easily visit on our own.
There are a few different ways to get to the park which include by taxi, public bus, organised tour, and the Crocoparc shuttle bus.
We chose to take an InDrive taxi out and then the public bus back into Agadir, but I’ll go through the details for each option below.
Organised Tour
It might not be essential to book onto a tour to get to Crocoparc, but it’s the easiest and most convenient way to visit.
Not only does a tour include hotel pickup and drop off, but also a skip-the-line entrance ticket so you don’t have to hang around in a queue.
You’re also accompanied by a fun and knowledgeable tour guide, which again isn’t essential as there are lots of information signs in the park, but always adds to the overall experience!
The best way to organise this is to book a popular tour like this one through Get Your Guide – our favourite platform for booking tours and day trips in Agadir!
Reserve Your Spot Here: Crocoparc Guided Tour
Taxi
The easiest way to get to Crocoparc without a tour is to jump in a taxi and get dropped off right at the door.
You can hail one of the petit taxis on the street or organise one through your hotel, but we found the InDrive app to be the easiest and cheapest way to get taxis in Agadir. The ride-hailing app isn’t officially recognised in Morocco and you’ll want to avoid a pickup location where other taxis are congregated, but we used it multiple times with no issues. Our ride to Crocoparc cost us 29 MAD from the Dakhla neighbourhood.
At the Crocoparc entrance, there were plenty of taxis waiting outside, so you won’t struggle to get one back into town. We were quoted 100 MAD for a taxi back but I’m pretty sure this would have been up for negotiation.
To get an InDrive back, you’ll likely have to walk over to Drarga as they didn’t seem keen to come too close to the park due to the amount of taxis.
Public Bus
The cheapest (but also the longest and least direct) option is to take the L5 bus from Agadir Wilaya Bus Station to Drarga, and then walk over to the park from there. The bus takes up to 50 minutes, depending on where you catch it from, but only costs 4 MAD each way.
Google Maps shows the exact route and the stop to get off in Drarga, which you can see here. Or, you can also find details on the ALSA bus website.
As I mentioned, we took this bus on the way back and, while the bus was a bit hot and busy, the journey was comfortable enough and a good way for us to save some cash.
Plan The Ultimate Trip: Complete Agadir Travel Guide
Crocoparc Shuttle Bus
Another option is to catch the Crocoparc shuttle bus, which departs from Uniprix Agadir a couple of times per day.
There’s also an option to arrange hotel pickup with this service but I’m not sure on the price as it isn’t listed.
You need to reserve your seat for this bus and the details can be found on the Crocoparc website.
Entrance Fee And Opening Times
The ticket prices for Crocoparc are 95 MAD for adults and 65 MAD for children up to 12 years old.
We bought ours at the entrance when we arrived, but for a little extra you can buy skip-the-line tickets online in advance. There wasn’t much of a queue when we visited but if you’re visiting around midday, on a weekend, or during a holiday, it could be worth grabbing these tickets online for a seamless entrance.
The park is open from 10am until 6pm every day apart from during Ramadan, when the opening times are 10.30am until 5.30pm. It’s only closed for one day in the whole year which is the first day of the Eid holiday.
Note: The ticket office closes 30 minutes prior to the closure of the park.
Book Here: Crocoparc Skip-The-Line Entrance Tickets
What To Expect – Our Experience In Crocoparc
The first thing that immediately stood out to us when stepping out of our InDrive at the Crocoparc entrance was, of course, the huge crocodile head sculpture that you have to walk through to get into the park!
However, glancing around, we also admired the outer wall of the enclosure, which is beautifully designed in the style of a traditional medina wall – similar to what you find in Taroudant and Marrakech.
And once inside, the impeccable style continues through the gardens with well-maintained and modern walkways and attractions.
Once we had our tickets and made our way into the park, we were greeted by the Guelta Tanzida, the first of three ponds where the crocodiles roam. Immediately walking over to the railing, we peered over and after a second or two, clocked that there were dozens of crocodiles chilling below!
It was slightly unnerving but also incredibly fascinating!
The water was green from the algae so the only indication of them swimming was the bubbles on the surface. Then we would see a scaly head breach and a pair of eerie eyes locked on us that seemed to be staring into our souls!
We then followed the signposted trail around the park and, reading information signs as we went, we made our way through the different ponds, gardens, and attractions before the workers started gathering people around the Guelta Touizgui Remz pond for feeding time!
Suddenly, many of the sluggish-looking crocodiles who had been basking in the sun sprang into action and started making their way to where the chunks of meat were hitting the ground with a slap – and tearing into them!
To watch the feeding, I’d recommend heading to the ‘monster tunnel’, a tunnel with a glass viewing port next to the restaurant, for as close up a view as you’ll get! Unfortunately, we were on the other side of the pond, but we checked it out just before we finished our visit!
Facilities
Within the park is a restaurant called La Table du Croco which serves sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, salads as well as a kids menu. We didn’t eat during our visit but there’s a good view of the crocodile pond from the restaurant.
Toilets are located at the main entrance and also at the back of the park in the cactus garden, which is about halfway around the trail. There’s also a small snack shop next to the cactus garden where you can pick up some water or, like us, an ice cream to help with the summer heat!
There are also shaded benches along the trail, a couple of children’s play parks, and a gift shop at the exit.
As you wander round, make sure to take time to read the information signs too. There are lots in the park all about the different animals and plants, but we thought the crocodile information was particularly interesting. Not only did we find out general facts about the Nile crocodile but also about their history in Morocco.
Best Things To Do In Crocoparc
When we visited Crocoparc, there was just one thing on our to-do list. And that was to see crocodiles – obviously!
However, we didn’t actually know about all the other animals to see and the activities there are to do before our visit.
But now we’ve been, I can give you this list of the best things to do in Crocoparc. This way, you’ll be more clued up for your visit than we were!
- Watch the feeding of the crocodiles.
- Fly over the crocodile pond on the zip line.
- Get up close and personal with anacondas and pythons in the snake cave.
- Spot green iguanas and giant tortoises in the cacti garden.
- Cry at the cuteness of the tiny marmoset monkeys.
- Watch a documentary about crocodiles in Morocco in the amphitheatre.
- See different crocodile skeletons behind the waterfall.
- Find your way out of the Aladdin-themed escape room.
How Long Do You Need To Visit?
We spent two hours in Crocoparc, following the trail at a leisurely pace in the August heat. This was longer than we had anticipated, but as I said, there was more to see and do than we had realised!
So, I’d suggest planning for a couple of hours which we felt was the perfect amount of time to see everything and take it all in without rushing around.
However, we didn’t have lunch at the restaurant, stop at the play parks, or take part in the escape room. So, plan for extra time if you fancy any of these.
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We loved this highly rated tour along the beach.
Is Crocoparc Worth Visiting? Our Honest Opinion
Absolutely! I’d definitely recommend visiting Crocoparc, and it should no doubt be on your list of things to do in Agadir!
While we might have been slightly sceptical about what we were in for when arriving at the giant crocodile head entrance, thinking maybe this is mainly for families, it was a fantastic experience and opportunity to see these reptiles up close. Especially as they’re the type that you would rather not come across out in the wild!
Combine this with the educational content and fun activities on offer, and it makes Crocoparc an overall great day out. It’s somewhere that can be enjoyed as a family, a couple, or with friends and, along with the likes of Agadir Medina, Oufella Kasbah, and Paradise Valley, should be on your Agadir itinerary!
Best Time To Visit Crocoparc
Croocparc can be enjoyed at any time of year but the best time to visit is in the spring and autumn (March to April and October to November). During these seasons, the temperature is more comfortable than the summer months but the crocodiles are still fed daily – which means you have the opportunity to watch!
However, even if your visit coincides with a winter period without feeding, there’s so much more that still makes it a worthwhile day out!
In terms of the time of day, the best time to visit is during one of the feeding times if they’re happening. These times change depending on the season but to give you an idea, the feeding times on our visit in August were 12:00, 15:00, and 17:00.
To Finish
Crocoparc is a fine addition to your trip to Agadir and it’s a great way to take a break from the beach!
While it’s designed with families and children in mind, the majority of the park is for people of any age who are keen to see and learn about crocodiles, and we had a fantastic time visiting as a couple!
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More Morocco Travel Guides
Heading elsewhere in Morocco? Find more detailed travel guides filled with helpful information and inspiration for your trip below.
- A Complete Guide To Tamraght
- Ultimate Taghazout Travel Guide
- Best Beaches In Taghazout
- Is Paradise Valley Worth Visiting?
- How To Visit Taroudant From Agadir
- Getting From Agadir To Taghazout: All You Need To Know
- Essential Imsouane Morocco Travel Guide
- A Guide To Essaouira’s Beaches
- How To Get From Marrakech To Agadir
