Essaouira Travel Guide

An 18th-century city on Morocco’s Atlantic coastline, Essaouira is one among the nation’s most well-liked beach destinations. White-washed homes sporting cobalt blue shutters offer a scenic backdrop for breezy coast adventures, that embrace kitesurfing and windsurfing. The city’s medina options crafts made using centuries-old techniques, as well as thuya wood carving and cabinet making. The argan oil trade is well established here as well, and the women cooperatives responsible for processing the argan nuts are instantly recognizable from their long white robes.

Essaouira, formerly known as Mogador, may be a natural port. It’s been prized as such since the 1st century, when the protected bay provided anchorage for Romans trading for the purpura shells they used to make purple dye. Roman artifacts from the period are on display at the city’s Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah Museum. Fortress walls originally circled the city’s borders,and lots of sections of the walls stay standing these days. Built by the Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah, the fortifications combine European military architecture with African aesthetics.

Today, the harbor is one of the major fishing locations in Morocco, and the city’s restaurants and seaside stalls offer an array of fresh seafood, from lobster dishes to grilled sardines. In recent years, Essaouira has begun to achieve a name as a cultural center too. Art galleries are appearing everywhere the city, and every year, town plays host to the Gnaoua Festival of World Music, a four-day event that has multiple genres of music as well because the ancient Gnaoua African music. Whether riding a camel along the beach or touring the bird sanctuary at nearby Falcon Island, Essaouira offers a variety of nice travel experiences.