1000 Places to See Before You Die 22 - Essaouira, Morocco

Essaouira is an idyllic little town on the west coast of Morocco. It is conveniently  located just a few hours drive from Marrakech, and a lot of Moroccans use it as a weekend getaway. 

I went there in 2015 on my Morocco roundtrip and you can read a more detailed “review” here!

As I said above Essaouira is a lovely little city, famous for its laid back vibe and hippie feel. We spent the days just relaxing and enjoying the fresh breeze after having been roasted in the desert and baked in the hot cities of Morocco. 

The history of the city can be traced back to prehistoric times. The bay is sheltered which means the harbour is protected against the strong winds from the Atlantic. Essaouira, consequently, has always been a busy trading port with visits from the Carthaginians, the Romans and the Portuguese among others. In the 16th century European powers repeatedly tried to seize the city, but in vain. 

The city we see today was built in the 18th century by Mohammed III who wished to increase trade with European powers and found that the little city of Essaouira would be perfect. He hired a French engineer and a number of European architects to build the fortress and the city in a modern style. The name Essaoira means “the beautifully designed”. Until the end of the 19th century the city served as Morocco’s main port connecting the caravan trade routes to the rest of the world. Eventually direct European trade with the sub-Saharan area led to the decline of the city. Nowadays, it mostly thrives on tourists, both “locals” from Marrakech and foreigners from all over the world, who come to enjoy the surfing and the hippie vibes. 

Essaouira has a lovely little medina full of tiny shops offering arts-and-crafts goods. A number of the shops have many of the same things available, but spend a little extra time digging around and you can easily find that one-off perfect souvenir to commemorate your trip. The medina is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, being an example of a late 18th century fortified town, transferred to North Africa by European colonists. 

If you are the active sort of traveller you can easily find some sort of water sport to get your adrenaline fix, as windsurfing and kitesurfing especially are very popular along the coast. As mentioned above the bay is protected so there are only shallow waves, but the persistent wind from the Atlantic will give you plenty of drive in your preferred water sport. 

If you are not really the active type a stroll along the beach and a look at the idyllic, very Instagrammable harbour should satisfy your touristy needs. And when you have had your fill for the day, you can easily find a small café where you can enjoy a drink and a snack. 

We stayed at Hotel Cap Sim, right next door to the medina. This was a converted riad, and I believe one of the few hotels actually built in the city center. Most of the more modern hotels are located along the seafront, but if you want a more “authentic” experience there are a number of privately owned riads for hire. 

The central "courtyard" of our hotel

The view from the hotel roof top

As for the weather the strong “breeze” from the Atlantic keeps it pleasantly cool and I had to whip out my jeans and my long sleeved top for the first time in Morocco. It’s far from cold, but just cool enough to keep you from sweating like a pig, as I certainly did in the rest of the country. 

All facts are from “1000 Places to See Before You Die” by Patricia Schultz and Wikipedia