Essaouira Travel Guide: Morocco's Laid-Back Atlantic Port Town

Essaouira is a UNESCO-listed 18th-century fortified port town on Morocco's Atlantic coast, known for whitewashed and blue-shuttered architecture, a genuinely relaxed pace compared to Marrakech, and some of the country's best fresh seafood, sold straight off the boats at the harbor each morning.

The Medina and Ramparts

Essaouira's medina is compact and walkable, laid out with a more European, grid-influenced pattern than older Moroccan medinas (the town was substantially rebuilt in the 18th century by a French architect under Sultan Mohammed III). The Skala du Port — the sea-facing rampart with rows of old cannons — offers some of the best photos in town, especially at sunset.

Thuya Wood and Local Crafts

Essaouira is Morocco's center for thuya wood carving, a fragrant, burl-patterned wood used for everything from jewelry boxes to furniture, and the workshops here are worth watching in action even if you're not buying — the town's souks are notably lower-pressure than Marrakech's.

Food

The harbor's grilled-fish stalls, where you pick your catch and have it cooked to order, are one of the best casual meals in the country, and the town more broadly has a strong seafood and, increasingly, a growing wine and café scene reflecting decades of artist and expat presence.

Wind and Watersports

Essaouira is nicknamed "Windy City" for good reason and is one of North Africa's best windsurfing and kitesurfing destinations if that's of interest — worth knowing if you'd rather spend an afternoon on the water than in the souks.

Day Trip or Overnight?

Either works. Our 11 day tour runs it as a day trip from Marrakech, while longer routes give it a full overnight and leisure day — see our comparison of how to split your days between the two.