Essaouira: A Complete City Guide

Essaouira is defined by its wind. The trade winds that hit this stretch of Atlantic coast are consistent enough that the town has built a windsurfing and kitesurfing industry around them, and strong enough that outdoor dining requires a grip on your napkin. The wind is both the defining feature and the main reason the beach, despite being one of the longest and most beautiful in Morocco, rarely gets crowded in the way that warm, calm-water beaches do.

The medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and looks unlike any other in Morocco. It was designed in the 1760s by the French architect Théodore Cornut on Portuguese fortification lines, giving it a grid layout, wide ramparts, and a symmetry that the older organically-grown medinas of Fes and Marrakech lack entirely. Artists discovered it in the 1960s, musicians in the 1970s (Jimi Hendrix reportedly spent time here, though the exact details vary by who is telling the story), and the creative community that accumulated over decades gives the city a particular atmosphere.

The Ramparts and the Sea Bastions

The Skala de la Ville, the sea bastion running along the north side of the medina, is lined with antique Portuguese cannons pointing out to sea and gives the best elevated view of the Atlantic and the offshore Purpuraire Islands. The walk along the top of the ramparts takes about 20 minutes at a reasonable pace and is entirely free. Come at sunset for the light, or early morning to have it largely to yourself.

The harbour at the south end of the medina is a working fishing port. Blue-painted wooden boats, nets drying, the smell of sea and diesel. The port restaurants at the harbour gate serve fresh fish grilled to order, priced by the weight of what you choose. This is the classic Essaouira lunch, and good value for the quality of the fish.

The Medina and the Souks

The grid layout makes Essaouira’s medina far easier to navigate than most. The main artery, Rue Mohammed el-Qory, runs the length of the old town and connects the kasbah gate to the harbour. Art galleries, craft shops selling thuya wood products (a local speciality, with burled thuya wood shaped and polished into bowls, boxes and furniture), and music instrument shops line the lanes off the main street.

Thuya woodwork is worth buying here. The craftsmen in Essaouira have been working with this material for generations and the quality of the best pieces is exceptional. Prices below are approximate, reviewed in September 2026, and vary by shop and negotiation. Compare craftsmanship, size and finish across a few workshops before agreeing a price; small boxes and intricate chess sets should not be treated as one price category.

The Beach

The beach at Essaouira runs for several kilometres south of the medina walls. The sand is clean and fine, the dunes to the south are interesting to walk, and the kitesurfers and windsurfers in the middle section provide constant movement. For actually lying on the beach and getting warm, it is not the right choice: the wind ensures you arrive at the restaurant afterwards covered in sand. The beach is excellent for walking, for watching the wind sports, and for the views back to the medina walls from the water line.

Argan Oil and the Cooperatives

The region around Essaouira sits in the Argan forest belt of south-western Morocco, where argan trees grow wild. Argan oil, pressed from the kernels of the argan fruit, is used for cooking and cosmetics and has become a significant export product. Women’s cooperatives outside the city produce and sell argan oil directly. Buying from a cooperative you can identify is generally a better bet for quality and for the producers than buying from medina shops of uncertain provenance.

Gnawa Music

Essaouira is the home of the annual Gnawa and World Music Festival, held each June, which brings tens of thousands of visitors to the city for four days of outdoor concerts. The Gnawa tradition, a spiritual music and healing practice rooted in sub-Saharan African ancestry, is represented in Essaouira year-round. Gnawa musicians perform in the medina most evenings and several dedicated music spaces host regular performances.

Our Moroccan music guide explains Gnawa alongside other styles you may hear on your travels.

Where to Stay and Eat

Essaouira has a good range of riads in the medina and guesthouses at all price levels. The best-positioned are those with sea or rampart views, which command a premium worth paying if the budget allows. Beyond the harbour’s grilled-fish restaurants, Triskala in the medina has a good Moroccan-international menu, and Café Taros on Place Moulay Hassan is a long-standing meeting place with a rooftop terrace.

Most visitors reach Essaouira from Marrakech. Check current Supratours departures, arrival points, travel times and fares before booking from Marrakech. For shared grand taxis, confirm the departure rank, whether the quoted price is per seat, and how the return leg will work.

Coming from Casablanca, CTM runs several direct departures a day, taking roughly six to six and a half hours. There is no need to route through Marrakech, though doing so is common because most itineraries pass through there anyway. Essaouira also has a small airport (ESU) with limited domestic flights from Casablanca, though most international travellers fly into Marrakech Menara and take ground transport from there. Two nights is the minimum to appreciate the town without rushing; three to four allows for day trips to Sidi Kaouki beach and the argan oil cooperatives in the surrounding countryside.

For dishes, seafood choices and meal planning, use our Essaouira food guide.

Fit Essaouira into your itinerary

A return day trip from Marrakech gives you time for the port, ramparts and a walk through the medina, but the road journey uses a significant part of the day. The seven-day Morocco itinerary shows how to make that trade-off without another hotel change. If you want a full coast day and an evening in town, consider staying overnight instead.

The ten-day Morocco itinerary includes an Essaouira ending with an important constraint: the return drive to Marrakech falls on departure day. For an early flight, spend the final night in Marrakech rather than assuming a same-day road transfer will work. Without a rental car, consult Morocco without driving and check both outward and return coach services before booking accommodation.

Wind, Water, and Activities

Essaouira is one of the windiest cities on the Moroccan coast. The trade winds that blow consistently from the north make the beach cold for sunbathing much of the year, but they also make Essaouira a major destination for windsurfing and kitesurfing. The main beach south of the medina has several rental shops and schools offering lessons. From April to November, conditions are reliable, with winds averaging 15 to 25 knots.

Horseback and camel rides along the beach are available year-round and are popular with families. Agree the ride duration, route, total cost and safety arrangements with the operator before booking. Surfing is better south of Essaouira at Sidi Kaouki, a small beach village about 25 kilometres down the coast with consistent waves and a handful of surf camps and guesthouses.

The fishing port is active every morning and is one of the most photogenic spots in town. Fishermen haul in sardines, sea bass, and other catch, and the adjoining open-air fish market lets you select your fish and have it grilled on the spot. Ask for the price of the selected fish by weight and clarify whether grilling, bread and salad are included before it is prepared. Arrive before noon for the best selection.

Compare kitesurfing in Essaouira and Dakhla before booking lessons. For a different beach outing, our horse-riding guide covers rider experience, horse welfare and questions for operators.