By 1912 the French had established their protectorate, changed the town’s name back to Mogador and diverted trade to Casablanca, Tangier and Agadir. It was only with independence in 1956 that the sleepy backwater again became Essaouira. Since Orson Welles filmed Othello here and hippies chose Essaouira as a hang-out, the town has seen a steady flow of visitors – everyone from artists, surfers and writers to European tourists escaping the crowds of Marrakesh.
Essaouira
1Top Sights
1Essaouira MedinaB2
1Sights
2Fish AuctionB4
3Fish SouqD2
4PortA5
5Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah MuseumC2
6Skala de la VilleB2
7Skala du PortA5
2Activities, Courses & Tours
8Alliance Franco-MarocaineB2
Ecotourisme et RandonnéesC3
9Hammam Villa de l'ÔC4
L'Atelier MadadaC4
10Spa Casa LilaE3
11Villa Maroc Oriental SpaC4
4Sleeping
Casa Lila & SpaE3
12Dar AdulB2
13Dar AframB2
14Dar Al-BaharC1
15Hôtel les Matins BleusC3
16Hotel Ríad MémounaC1
17Hôtel Riad NakhlaD3
18Jack's Apartments & SuitesB3
19Madada MogadorC4
20Palais Heure BleueE3
21Riad Etoile d'EssaouiraD2
Villa de l'ǑC4
Villa MarocC4
5Eating
22Café Restaurant L'HorlogeC3
La Table by MadadaC4
23LoftC3
24Mega LoftB2
25Outdoor Fish Grill StandsB4
26Pasta BaladinB2
27Pâtisserie DrissB3
28Pâtisserie la BienvenueD2
29Restaurant El-MinzahC4
30Restaurant FerdaousC3
31Restaurant La DécouverteC3
32Restaurant La LicorneB2
33Restaurant UmiaB3
34Restaurante Les AlizésB2
35Vagues BleusE3
6Drinking & Nightlife
36Café Restaurant Bab LaachourB4
37Le PatioC3
38TarosB3
7Shopping
39Az-ZahrB2
40Coopérative Artisanal des MarqueteursB3
41Coopérative TamounteB3
42Espace OthelloC4
43Galerie JamaB2
Galeries d'Art DamgaardC4
44Jewellery SouqD3
45Le Coin des SaveursC4
46Le Comptoir OrientalC4
47Rafia CraftE4
48Spice SouqD2
49Woodcarving WorkshopsB2
8Information
50Délégation du TourismeC4
1Sights
Although there aren’t many formal sights in Essaouira, it’s a wonderful place for rambling. The medina, souqs, ramparts, port and beach are perfect for leisurely discovery, interspersed with relaxed lunches and unhurried mint tea breaks.
oEssaouira MedinaAREA
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Essaouira’s walled medina dates from the late 18th century and was added to Unesco’s World Heritage list in 2001. It is an outstanding and well-preserved example of European military architecture in North Africa. For the visitor, the narrow streets, souqs, street vendors, leafy plazas and whitewashed houses with ornate wooden doors make it a wonderful place to stroll. Dramatic, wave-lashed ramparts surround the medina and were famously used in the opening scene of Orson Welles’ 1951 film Othello.
Skala de la VilleFORT
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Medina)
Closed for restoration on our last visit, this bastion is part of the ramparts that protect the medina from the crashing Atlantic waves. The town's main woodworking souq is on the narrow street underneath.
Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah MuseumMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 47 53 00; [email protected]; Rue Laâlouj, Medina; adult/child under 12yr Dh10/3; h8am-5pm Wed-Mon)
Housed in an old riad, this somewhat fusty museum has a small collection of jewellery, costumes, embroidery, woodcarving and weapons from the region. Its collection of ritual and musical instruments is particularly interesting.
PortPORT
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Essaouira's large working port is noisy, pungent and hugely atmospheric. Along with the flurry of boats arriving and departing, nets being repaired and the day’s catch being landed, you can see traditional wooden boats being made. The boatbuilders supply fishing vessels for the entire Moroccan coast and even as far away as France, as the design is particularly seaworthy. It’s also worth visiting the fish auction ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), which takes place in the market hall just outside the port gates.
Skala du PortFORTRESS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; adult/child under 12yr Dh10/3; h9am-5.30pm)
Down by the harbour, this bastion offers picturesque views over the fishing port and the Île de Mogador. Looking back at the walled medina from here, through a curtain of swirling seagulls, you’ll get the same evocative picture that is used on nearly all official literature.
Île de MogadorISLAND
Just off the coast to the southwest is Île de Mogador, which has some interesting structures. It's actually two islands and several tiny islets – also known as the famed Îles Purpuraires (Purple Isles) of antiquity. The uninhabited islands are a sanctuary for Eleonora's falcons, which can be easily seen through binoculars from Essaouira beach.
ESSAOUIRA MEDINA SOUQ SHOPPING
Jewellery SouqJEWELLERY
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h10am-8pm)
A small area of jewellery shops with everything from heavy Berber beads to gaudy gold.
Spice SouqFOOD & DRINKS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h9am-8pm)
This is the place to go for herbal Viagra, Berber lipstick, exotic spices and ghassoul (clay used in face masks). You can also buy argan-oil products here, as well as amlou (a mix of honey, almond and argan oil).
Fish SouqMARKET
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; off Ave de l’Istiqlal; fish, bread & salad Dh30)
Fresh fish is available here, but is better purchased down at the port.
Woodcarving WorkshopsARTS & CRAFTS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h10am-9pm)
Essaouira is well known for its woodwork and plenty of wooden products are available at this string of shops beneath the Skala de la Ville.
2Activities
Organised horse- and camel-riding is based a few kilometres south of Essaouira in Diabat.
Town BeachBEACH
( GOOGLE MAP )
Essaouira’s wide, sandy beach is a great place for walking, but swimming and sunbathing can be difficult when the winds are strong. If you do swim, stick to the town stretch as the north beach (aka Plage de Safi) has dangerous currents.
Beach football is a popular activity on weekends and camel owners ply the sands on the southern stretch. Be firm if you don’t want to take a ride (and bargain hard if you do).
If you’re walking, head south across the Ksob River (impassable at high tide) to see the ruins of the Borj el-Berod, an old fortress and pavilion that’s partially covered in sand. From here you can walk inland to the village of Diabat or continue along the sands to the sand dunes of Cap Sim.
Océan VagabondWATER SPORTS
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 78 39 34; www.oceanvagabond.com; Essaouira Beach; h9am-6pm)
This outfit gives two-hour group surfing (adult/child Dh440/220), windsurfing (Dh825/660) and kitesurfing (Dh825) lessons. It also rents out equipment for all three.
It has a cafe-restaurant on the beach with a laid-back terrace; this is open for lunch every day during the year, and stays open for drinks and dinner between mid-July and mid-September.
Hammam Villa de l'ÔHAMMAM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 47 63 75; www.villadelo.com; 3 Rue Mohamed Ben Messaoud, Medina; hby appointment)
The in-house spa at boutique hotel Villa de l'Ô
has a lovely small hammam where you can enjoy a bath treatment (30-minute bath with gommage Dh400, one-hour bath with gommage and argan-oil massage Dh550). Also on offer are massages (one hour Dh400) and a variety of beauty treatments. Bookings essential.
Villa Maroc Oriental SpaHAMMAM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 47 61 47; www.villa-maroc.com; 10 Rue Abdullah Ben Yassine, Medina; bath Dh350, massages from Dh450)
The in-house hammam at upmarket Villa Maroc, just inside the medina walls near Bab al-Minzah, offers a range of bath, massage and beauty treatments. The 'Traditional Beauty' package (Dh600) includes gommage, ghassoul body wrap and 10-minute argan-oil massage, while beauty treatments include one-hour pedicures (Dh350) and facials (Dh350). Bookings essential.
Spa Casa LilaHAMMAM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 47 55 45; www.riad-casalila.com; 94 Rue Mohamed El Qorry, Medina; hby appointment)
This small guesthouse hammam and spa offers good-value massage and beauty treatments. A 90-minute session with a 30-minute gommage and one-hour massage costs Dh440. Bookings are essential.
CCourses
oL’Atelier MadadaCOOKING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 47 55 12; www.lateliermadada.com; 5 Rue Youssef el-Fassi, Medina; incl lunch Dh500; h10.30am-5pm Mon-Sat)
Set in a stylishly restored former almond warehouse and attached to Essaouira's best restaurant, this cookery school offers places for eight people per session. Learn the secrets of tajines, couscous and pastilla in the morning (Dh500, including a shopping trip to the souq and lunch), or Moroccan patisserie in the afternoons (Dh220). The courses are presented in English and French.
Alliance Franco-MarocaineLANGUAGE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 47 61 97; http://if-maroc.org/essaouira/; Derb Lâalaouj, 9 Rue Mohammed Diouri, Medina; hMon-Sat, closed Aug)
Offers semester-long French classes as well as regular films, exhibitions and cultural events.
TTours
Ecotourisme et RandonnéesHIKING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0615 76 21 31; www.essaouira-randonnees.com; 8b Rue Houmman El Fatouaki, Medina)
Offers hiking tours in the countryside outside Essaouira (half-day tours Dh200, full-day tours Dh450 ), including to local argan groves, the Sidi M'Bark waterfall and the Ksob River. Strong on birdwatching. Its office is Restaurant La Découverte.
zFestivals & Events
Gnaoua and World Music FestivalMUSIC
(www.festival-gnaoua.net; hlate Jun)
Essaouira overflows every year for the celebrated Gnaoua and World Music Festival, a four-day extravaganza with concerts staged at venues including the beach and Pl Moulay Hassan.
Festival des Andalousies AtlantiquesMUSIC
(www.facebook.com/FestivalDesAndalousiesAtlantiques; hlate Oct)
An eclectic mix of Andalucian music, art and dance featuring local and international performers.
JIMI HENDRIX: CASTLES OF SAND OR PIE IN THE SKY?
There are plenty of stories told about Jimi Hendrix in Essaouira. That the musician lived here on and off for a few years in the 1960s. That he owned a riad in which you can now stay, or maybe it’s a restaurant in which you can eat. That he stayed in quite a few other riads, or a campervan, or perhaps a tent. That he tried to buy Île de Mogador and composed 'Castles Made of Sand' here. Even that he sired various children and shared a room with Timothy Leary.
Put simply, these stories are all bunkum. Hendrix visited Morocco once only, for about a week, in July 1969, and two or three days of this were spent in Essaouira. But he didn’t even bring a guitar. This was 18 months after the album containing the song 'Castles Made of Sand' was released.
4Sleeping
Essaouira has a wonderful range of accommodation options catering for every taste and budget. Most of these are within the walls of the medina, so everything you need is within walking distance. In summer book ahead or at least arrive early in the day to find a room.
oHôtel Riad NakhlaB&B€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %tel/fax 0524 47 49 40; www.riadnakhla.com; 12 Rue d’Agadir, Medina; incl breakfasts/tr Dh250/490, d & tw Dh360; W)
The dark and dingy entrance passageway is unprepossessing, but inside there's a lovely central courtyard surrounded by 16 clean and attractive rooms. All have good beds and satellite TV, some have seating alcoves and a few have sea views. Breakfast is served on the pleasant roof terrace, which has sea views. Ultrafriendly staff and bargain prices seal a great deal.
Riad Etoile d’EssaouiraB&B€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 47 20 07; 2 Rue Kadissiya, off Ave Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah; s/d/tr incl breakfast Dh195/270/435; W)
Comfortably appointed and brightly decorated with local fabrics, this B&B in the mellah is an excellent budget option. English-speaking staff are friendly and guests enjoy breakfast on the terrace.
Hôtel les Matins BleusB&B€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 78 53 63; www.les-matins-bleus.com; 22 Rue de Drâa, Medina; s/d incl breakfast Dh285/430; W)
Hidden down a slightly scruffy dead-end street, this friendly B&B has neat and clean rooms surrounding a central courtyard. All but one have private bathrooms. There's no air-conditioning, so the rooms on the roof terrace can be hot in summer. A three-course set meal is available each evening (Dh95)
Dar AframB&B€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 78 56 57; www.darafram.com; 10 Rue Sidi Magdoul, Medina; s Dh175, d Dh350-400, tr Dh525-575, all incl breakfast; W)
This extremely friendly guesthouse has seven simple rooms with a funky vibe. The Aussie-Moroccan owners are musicians and an impromptu session often follows evening meals (Dh90) shared around a communal table. Guests love the summer BBQs held on the rooftop terrace with its sunloungers and sea view.
oJack’s Apartments & SuitesAPARTMENT€€
(Jack's Bohemian Suites; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 47 55 38; www.jackapartments.com; 1 Pl Moulay Hassan, Medina; r Dh380-850, apt Dh740-1740; W)
Swiss traveller Jack came to Essaouira to windsurf but ended up marrying a local and opening a business renting apartments and rooms, benefiting fellow travellers in the process. In various locations near Bab Skala, the apartments sleep between two and eight persons and are clean, stylish and extremely well-equipped; some have private terraces and others can access a rooftop terrace with sea views.
The individually rented rooms are equally impressive, with a vibrant colour scheme and access to a communal kitchen and rooftop terrace.
The company office in Pl Moulay Hassan handles all bookings.
oDar Al-BaharB&B€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 47 68 31; www.daralbahar.com; 1 Rue Touahen; incl breakfast d & tw Dh550-825, tr Dh825; W)
The nine immaculately kept rooms at this lovely guesthouse, under the ramparts near the Skala de la Ville, are simple and stylish, featuring good beds and small bathrooms with colourful tiles. Local art adorns the walls and the views from the roof terrace overlooking the ocean are magnificent.
Hotel Ríad MémounaHOTEL€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 78 57 53; www.riad-mimouna.com; 62 Rue d'Oujda, Medina; s Dh600-750, d Dh700-850, ste Dh1100-1800, all incl breakfast; W)
On entry to this hotel overlooking the Atlantic, the signs are auspicious – an elegant Moorish-style foyer lounge and extremely friendly staff on the door and at reception. The 33 rooms are clean and comfortable, with those overlooking the water deserving their higher charge. The rooftop restaurant has panoramic ocean views, as does an adjoining sun terrace.
Dar AdulB&B€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 47 39 10; www.daradul.ma; 63 Rue Touahen, Medina; s Dh450, d Dh500-1000, ste Dh1300, all incl breakfast; W)
This lovingly restored house has five double rooms and two suites sleeping four; all have attractive decor, most have seating alcoves, and suites have satellite TV. Dinner is available in the licensed restaurant (mains Dh120 to Dh140) and there's a rooftop terrace with spectacular sea and rampart views.
Casa Lila & SpaB&B€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP
; %0524 47 55 45; www.riad-casalila.com; 94 Rue Mohamed El Qorry; r Dh825-990, ste Dh1320, all incl breakfast; aW)
An excellent location near Bab Marrakech is one of a number of drawcards at this 10-room riad. Rooms are comfortable and pretty, featuring original zellij tiles, tadelakt walls and painted ceilings. The well-priced in-house hammam is well regarded and there's also a small rooftop terrace with rooftop views. Three-course set dinners are available (Dh165).
oPalais Heure BleueHOTEL€€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 78 34 34; www.heure-bleue.com; 2 Rue Ibn Batouta; d Dh1950-2460, ste Dh3340-5170, all incl breakfast; aWs)
A decided hush falls as you walk through the doors of the Heure Bleue, Essaouira’s top hotel. This swish riad has facilities galore – rooftop swimming pool, spa, bar, restaurant and private cinema. Chic European style and colonial charm meet in the foyer and gorgeous courtyard, and the rooms are lavishly appointed and extremely comfortable. Levels of service couldn't be better.
Lonely Planet Morocco Page 40