When I first arrived in Essaouira as a backpacker almost ten years ago, I was utterly weary and tense from the chaos and high-pressure sales tactics I’d experienced in Marrakech. Desperate for a break, I hoped that this smaller coastal town would give me some relief from the more intense aspects of travelling in Morocco.

Luckily, it did. This gentle, art-infused town turned out to be exactly what I needed. My nerves quickly calmed and I had the best time strolling the streets and relaxing by the coast. I loved Essaouira so much that I extended my stay. 

I revisited this year at last, this time on a family trip. But despite knowing what to expect, I still felt anxious upon arrival. I wondered if Essaouira had changed — having watched other beloved destinations become utterly transformed by tourism, I worried the same fate might have befallen this soulful town.

Well, I’m happy to report that Essaouira is as good as it ever was! 

Certainly, in my time away, new businesses had sprung up and more buildings had been restored, but the essence of Essaouira hadn’t changed one bit. It’s still a perfect place to unwind, enjoy the chilled atmosphere, and gorge on fresh seafood. And it’s still hands-down my favorite place in Morocco. 

You could visit as a day trip from Marrakech or Agadir, but I highly recommend staying at least a few days in Essaouira and keeping some of your days happily unscripted. While there is a good list of “things to do”, this isn’t a box-ticking destination. The point here is to slow down and enjoy. 

Here are some of the things that make it such a wonderful stop on a Morocco itinerary.

Explore a creative sanctuary

Essaouira has long been known as a creative and artistic hub. It especially gained prominence on the hippie trail in the 1960s and 70s and has attracted free spirits, artists, and musicians ever since. 

I love how the streets of the Essaouira medina are lined with little boutiques and art galleries. Turn a corner and you might bump into some Berber stencil art or watercolors of wonderful seascapes inspired by Essaouira’s coastline. 

Just like the little art galleries, many of the other local businesses have a soulful touch. My favorite hang in Essaouira is the Sisterhood Vintage Cafe — part quirky brunch cafe, part vintage shop.

Besides art and artisan craft, Essaouira is also deeply associated with Gnaoua, a highly hypnotic and rhythmic musical style that mixes sub-Saharan African and Moroccan influences. You can catch performances in town or even witness the Gnaoua World Music Festival if you happen to be in Essaouira in June.

I can highly recommend staying here if you’re on a budget (as I once was). It has a great vibe, amazing rooftop chill area, and is the perfect place to stay for solo adventurers in particular.

For a charming and affordable B&B stay, don’t hesitate to book Riad Azul, where I’ve also personally stayed. This funky traditional house is perfectly located in a quiet street inside the medina.

More in a luxury mood? Then stay outside of the medina to avoid the more cramped abodes in the traditional quarter. My pick is Hotel Cote Ocean Mogador, which has instant beach access and is just a 5-minute walk from the city walls.

Go shopping without the stress

Essaouira is a wonderful place to shop. If you’ve experienced the hectic markets and at times aggressive salesmanship in Marrakech, it’ll be truly a breath of fresh air!

Yes, in Essaouira, you can casually browse without being immediately attacked with sales pitches. The sellers are gentle and friendly, and while haggling is still often necessary, the process is much less forced than elsewhere in Morocco.

I’ll admit: the prices are still on the high side for a lot of the goods. They do know what tourists are willing to pay, so you have to be lucky to find a good bargain. 

Nevertheless, we couldn’t help ourselves and left Essaouira with various bags of mint and royal tea, art prints, spices, and a leather shoulder bag to carry it all home.

One tip I often give is to actually delay any souvenir shopping in Morocco until you get to Essaouira, just because it’s so much more chill to shop here.

 

Slow down and savor the flavors

Adding to the familiar Moroccan repertoire of couscous and tajines is the excellent fish and seafood in Essaouira, where the day’s catch often determines a restaurant’s menu.

Some mid-budget spots to enjoy some monkfish fillet with saffron sauce or grilled calamari include Seafood Corner, The Loft, and La Clé de Voûte. For a cosy budget-friendly place, check out Khmissa Restaurant.

If you want to go beyond the traditional vibe, a trendy but affordable spot I really enjoyed was Bufferfly Space. Besides the varied meals, they also serve some great mocktails. 

For lunch or brunch, we went twice to Saha Cafe, a tiny place on a cosy square where you can get various bruschettas, tartares, dips like hummus, and homemade yoghurt granola. 

Head into the wild dunes

You only need to drive 5 minutes along the boulevard south from the medina to hit the edge of town where wide sandy dunes take over the landscape. It makes for some perfect terrain for outdoor activities including camel rides.

I initially approached camel riding with some skepticism, given that animal rides for tourists can sometimes have a poor reputation. Luckily, my concerns melted away as soon as I was on camelback (or, more precisely, on top of a dromedary).

 

The animals were clearly very well cared for, the cameleer treated them with respect, and the whole experience was very wholesome and enjoyable. I did this exact camel ride tour, which I heartily recommend. 

We debated whether to go for a 1-hour or 2-hour ride. Since the price difference was a mere 5 EUR we opted for 2 hours, which actually flew by. We wondered if our 3-year-old daughter would take well to being on a camel, but she loved every minute of it.

Our cameleer was very skilled at finding all the best angles for photos. Framed just right, it’s possible to take some pictures in the dunes of Essaouira that make it seem like you’re in the Sahara — a nice photo-op should you not be going to the desert on your Morocco trip.

But more than that it’s simply fun to go up and down the scenic coastline and even riding through the waters for a while. The views of Mogador Island and the sky speckled with kitesurfing kites made for a constantly dynamic backdrop.

While we opted for a camel ride, the dunes of Essaouira are host to many different activities. It was fun to see different groups traversing the area. Along the way, a woman had parked her ATV in the dunes to read a book. Horseriders waved as they passed our little camel caravan.

You can check out this 2-hour camel ride, this Horseback riding tour, or this Quad/ATV ride for a fun time in the dunes!

Relax at the beach 

South of the Essaouira medina is a long and wide sandy beach with a 2km or so long boulevard with various cafes, restaurants, and bars. Getting there is just the matter of walking to the South Gate if staying in the medina, or walking toward the sounds of the waves if you’re staying in the modern part of town.

Before you pack your beach bag it’s highly worth checking the weather reports for wind speed. Essaouira is not named the Windy City for nothing!

On windy days you can expect some sandblasting, though seeing dozens of kites along the shoreline is still a nice sight to see. With calmer winds, it can be perfect for sunbathing. The views of the bay are terrific, looking out onto the one-time prison island of Mogador, Essaouira’s mini version of Alcatraz.

For a beachy day trip, I highly recommend heading to Sidi Kaouki, a small village about 30 minutes south of Essaouira. It’s been earmarked for tourism development (I’ve heard stories of frenzied land purchasing in expectation of bigger things to come), but today it’s still just a quaint lowkey surfer village with some scattered auberges, camp sites, and beach hostels. It’s a perfect spot to chill away from the city.

You may notice that most locals, women in particular, will dress very conservatively even when staying at a beach. However, for tourists the beachwear etiquette is much more relaxed, so swimsuits and bikinis are generally acceptable within the actual beach area. When heading back into town or going to nearby cafes/restaurants it’s respectful to cover up with a t-shirt/top or sarong or shawl.

 

Hit the waves

A more active way to enjoy the beach is to put on a wetsuit and ride some waves. This wind-battered coast is particularly popular with kitesurfers, though regular surfing and bodyboarding are also widely practiced.

I must admit that I’m a terrible surfer, so I can’t offer insider knowledge on the particular quality of the waves. I’m more of a bodyboarding guy, preferring the effort-to-reward ratio of this simpler form of wave riding.

That said, there are lots of surf rentals in town with a board costing about 10 to 20 EUR per day, so it’s easy to jump in. Beginner-friendly surf lessons can also be booked easily via GetYourGuide or Viator — costing around 30 to 100 EUR depending on the session’s program and duration.

I’ve not done kitesurfing but I imagine Essaouira is the perfect place for it. This sport does require more learning to understand the basics so you may wish to look at doing a structured multi-day course — for instance with Kite Paradise or Kite & Surf Essaouira.

 

Stay in a traditional riad

A riad is a type of traditional Moroccan house built around a central courtyard. Riads in Marrakech are often more luxuriant and elaborate than those in Essaouira, but if you’re looking for a more down-to-earth riad experience, Essaouira is an excellent place to stay.

We stayed in Riad Azul, a charming and wonderfully decorated place tucked away inside the old medina. It’s along a quiet alley but also just a stone’s throw from one of the main shopping streets, making the location pretty much perfect.

We loved the really nice breakfast included with crispy square msemen bread, locally made almond butter, fresh fruits, and pancakes. 

CHECK rates & book Riad Azul

Other riads to consider in Essaouira include:

• Riad Chakir Mogador $$ – a historic 269-year-old riad in Essaouira’s medina with colorful zellige tiles, hidden tile stairways, and cozy rooftop spaces, all just steps from the beach and souks
• Riad Baladin $$ – a boho chic riad in Essaouira’s medina with bright whitewashed rooms, a rooftop terrace with ocean views, and a private jacuzzi
• Dar Ness $$ – a historical riad in the heart of the old city – very convenient and close to all attractions
• Villa Quieta $$$ – this boutique hotel exudes authentic Moroccan character, set in lovely gardens with a sparkling pool and a nice beachfront location

Watch life at the fisherman’s harbor

It’s highly worth going to the harbor in the morning if you’re a photographer — or you simply like to record interesting scenes with your eyes!

It will be abuzz with fishermen offloading their catch and their mending nets. Among the many bales of fishing nets and walls of stacked crates with fish and crustaceans, you’ll see craftsmen performing maintenance on several larger ships in the drydock. Opposite, there’s a sea of traditional blue wooden fishing boats moored at the docks.

 

Besides soaking in the atmosphere, you could, well, actually buy some fish here straight from the source. Some restaurants in Essaouira are happy to let you bring your own fish that they will use to prepare your dish. I did this once, and it made visiting the harbor more fun while assuring myself of a meal with the freshest fish possible.

Go on a cat safari

This one’s specifically for parents of small children: unless for any reason they are not into cats (what child wouldn’t be?!), they’re absolutely going to love exploring Essaouira. The city is known for its many resident cats, which, unlike some of the cats we saw in Marrakech, almost always appear healthy and well-loved.

The cats are truly everywhere, often merging perfectly into the scenery: they’ll be napping on chairs in the cafes, sleeping on top of parked motorbikes, eyeing the sardines at the market, or darting around the alleyways doing their thing.

Our 3-year-old daughter was never bored. Even while we were taking our time shopping or trying to choose our restaurant, there were always some cats or kittens to spot. “LOOK, A CAT!!” was the one thing we kept hearing, as though every sighting was her first. 

Climb the fortress walls

An essential stop is the city walls, which can give you some wonderful ocean views. The main access to the second level of the rampart can be found here. 

Essaouira was actually deliberately built by Sultan Mohammed III in the 18th century as Morocco’s main Atlantic port. The remarkably intact city bastion (built in a Portuguese style) is a clear reminder of the city’s past, when foreign trade flowed through Essaouira into all of Morocco. 

It’s a great place to get some wind in your face, to watch the waves, and to take some pictures while sitting between the battlements. Lining the defensive wall are many bronze cannons with Dutch and Spanish inscriptions on them — the countries from which they were purchased. 

My daughter particularly enjoyed being atop the walls for some fun pictures. There aren’t any fences or bars here, so it’s wise to stay on the inner side. A guard with a whistle is actually posted here to prevent any self-takers from stepping back too far (yep, a true sign of our times). 

Fun fact: the name of the town is actually derived from this structure. It was originally called Souria (the small fortress) but then became Es-Saouira (“the beautifully designed”). Before the fortress, Essaouira was known as Mogador, the name given by the Phoenicians who established it as a trading post. You can still see ‘Mogador’ in the names of various businesses in town.

I should also mention that you may also recognize this location as Astapor in Game of Thrones, the seaside city where Daenerys Targaryen buys an army of Unsullied. Sadly, such facts are less juicy to share nowadays given the series’ widely-panned final seasons. Nevertheless, it’s still interesting to see how very little CGI was used and both the ramparts and fishing port of Essaouira are easily recognized in Episode 1, Season 3 of the hit TV show.

That’s it for some of the best things to do in Essaouira! But I’ve written a lot about Morocco, so don’t just hit that back-button and be sure to dive into the Morocco section for much more. I’ll share hard-won tips and tricks for road tripping through Morocco, surviving the madness of Marrakech, as well as putting together the perfect first-time Morocco itinerary. 

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