Marrakech-Safi, Atlantic coast · Morocco
A wind-blown Atlantic fishing port of white-and-blue walls, Portuguese-era ramparts, seafood grills and an easygoing artistic streak.
Photo: Adam Harangozó · CC BY-SA 4.0
Essaouira was known to the Portuguese as Mogador, and they built a fortress on the site in the early 16th century. The present town was laid out in the 1760s by Sultan Mohammed III, who wanted a port for trade with Europe and hired European engineers, including the Frenchman Théodore Cornut, to design its grid of streets and walls. It became Morocco's chief Atlantic trading port for a time, with a large Jewish and Muslim merchant community. UNESCO listed the medina in 2001.
Today Essaouira is a small, relaxed town, and a favourite for Moroccans as well as foreigners. The medina is easy to navigate, the ramparts are lined with old cannons, the port still launches blue fishing boats, and the constant Atlantic wind keeps the air cool, even in summer.
It has long attracted artists and musicians, from Orson Welles, who shot part of Othello here, to the Gnaoua World Music Festival, held every June. Galleries, craftspeople who work thuya wood and cooperatives making argan oil add to the appeal.
Why visit
Essaouira is an easy, friendly contrast to Marrakech, and a good place to relax.
Small, calm and largely free of hassle, with blue-shuttered houses and craft workshops.
The Skala walls, old cannons and the busy harbour are highlights.
Freshly caught fish grilled to order at the port stalls.
A long sandy beach and reliable wind for kitesurfing and windsurfing.
Galleries, Gnaoua music and a creative community.
Main attractions
The sights are small and close together, and a day and a half covers them.
The sea bastion with rows of old bronze and iron cannons pointing across the Atlantic, and ramparts you can walk. It is a fine place at sunset.
Tip Go at sunset for the light.
A working harbour of blue wooden boats, nets and squawking gulls, with fish auctions in the morning and grill stalls at lunch.
Tip Choose your fish from the stall and have it grilled.
A grid of lanes with craft workshops, thuya woodwork, argan oil sellers and small galleries.
Tip Thuya wood is a local speciality.
A long sandy bay to the south of the town, usually windy, popular with kitesurfers and horse riders.
Tip Windy days are common, so bring a jacket.
The old Jewish quarter, with a synagogue and a cemetery, recalls the community that once made up a large part of the town.
Tip Ask at your riad about opening.
Things to do
Essaouira is best enjoyed slowly, with a mix of sea, food and shopping.
Pick sardines, sole or prawns from the stall and eat at a communal table.
Tip Agree the price before it is cooked.
A loop of the walls gives views of the sea and the harbour.
Tip Go at sunset.
The Atlantic wind attracts riders, with schools and rentals on the beach.
Tip Book a lesson at a reputable school.
Thuya wood boxes, argan oil, painted ceramics and Gnaoua instruments.
Tip Argan cooperatives outside town let you see how the oil is made.
Music shops and cafés play and sell Gnaoua instruments, and the June festival fills the town.
Tip Book accommodation well ahead for the festival.
Rides at sunset along the shore south of the town.
Tip Choose operators who look after their animals.
Local food
Essaouira is about seafood, grilled simply with lemon and served with bread and salad.
Freshly caught sardines, sole, sea bream and prawns, grilled over charcoal.
Where to try it The port stalls.
Fish cooked with tomatoes, peppers and preserved lemon.
Where to try it Restaurants in the medina.
A nutty local oil, and amlou, a paste of argan oil, almonds and honey.
Where to try it Cooperatives and shops.
Almond pastries and sweets with mint tea.
Where to try it Cafés on the main square.
Fresh shellfish, sold from market stalls.
Where to try it The port.
Accommodation
Small riads and guesthouses in the medina are the best options.
Transport
Essaouira is about 175 km west of Marrakech.
The medina is small and largely pedestrian.
When to go
Essaouira has a mild, breezy climate, and stays cooler than Marrakech in summer.
Mild and sunny.
Warm but windy, and a cool relief from the interior. Busy.
Warm and calmer.
Cool, windy and sometimes wet.
Worth planning around: The Gnaoua festival weekend, if you dislike crowds.
Itinerary
The town and port on the first day, the coast and the crafts on the second.
Walls and harbour.
Sea and shopping.
Travel tips
A few things make the visit easier.
FAQ
Two days are enough. It can also be a day trip from Marrakech, though a night is nicer.
The beach is windy, with strong Atlantic currents, and the water is cold. Most people paddle or watch the kitesurfers.
Usually in June. Check dates, and book accommodation early.
Yes, it is generally relaxed. Use normal precautions.
It is doable, at about three hours each way, but staying a night is better.
Yes, it is one of Morocco's main wind sport centres, with strong summer winds.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with Essaouira, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Marrakech-Safi, central Morocco, Morocco
The most visited city in Morocco: a walled medina of souks, madrasas and palaces, the great square of Jemaa el-Fnaa, the Majorelle Garden and a hundred riads.
Don't miss Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk, when the storytellers, musicians and food stalls take over the square.
Explore Destination — MarrakechCasablanca-Settat, Atlantic coast, Morocco
A modern port city with a monumental oceanfront mosque, French colonial Art Deco streets, a small old medina, seafood and a lively café and arts scene.
Don't miss The Hassan II Mosque at the edge of the Atlantic, its minaret rising above the waves.
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A village base for walks in the Toubkal National Park, with valley treks between Amazigh villages, mule paths and the two-day ascent of Jebel Toubkal (4,167 m).
Don't miss The first view of the snow-capped Toubkal massif from the trail above Imlil.
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