11 Best Things to do in Essaouira

You’re planning to travel in Morocco and looking for places to visit, then read on as here are all my tips for great things to do in Essaouira.

I felt in love with this beautiful town in the western coast of Morocco when I spent a month backpacking around the country.

Although there have been settlements since prehistoric times, the Medina, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site, was built in the late 18th century and was known by its Portuguese name of Mogador until the 1960s.

 Originally called “Souira” (“the small fortress”), the name became “Es-Saouira” (“the beautifully designed”), and it has been a film location many times, including for Game of Thrones.

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Arriving to Essaouira

If you’re flying into Essaouira, the airport is about 16Km away. You can take a shuttle to the Medina that costs £5-10ish.

If you travel from Marrakesh to Essaouira it takes just over two hours by bus, the journey from Agadir also takes a similar time. There’s no train to go to Essaouira.

Where to stay in Essaouira

With the entire Medina of Essaouira being a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2001, it only makes sense to stay within its fortified walls. There are plenty of places to stay, from hostels and B&Bs to more fancy hotels or some that seem to be crumbling into pieces but that still have some charm.

I tried both the Atlantic Hostel and Chill Art Hostel on my days there. Both completely nice places to stay and meet other travellers. I also spent a night at the Coeur De Mogador Hotel and it’s a good cheap option for a private room but the hotel is pretty old so don’t expect any luxuries at all.

When to visit Essaouira

The semi-arid climate of Essaouira makes it a wonderful place to go year-round as the temperatures are pretty mild both in the summer and winter. With so many cheap flights from Europe to Morocco this is a great destination to either escape the cold or the extreme heat.

How long should you stay in Essaouira

Although you can find day trips advertised from Marrakesh, I’d advise you against it as there are so many things to do in Essaouira that only one day won’t be enough.

If you only want to visit the Medina then two days will be ok but if you plan to take part on surf lessons you should try to stay at least three days.

I spent a couple of weeks in Essaouira and can tell you that you will have plenty to do if you decide to only stay there for all your days of travel in Morocco.

The best things to do in Essaouira

Essaouira is one of my favourite places to visit in Morocco as it offers something for everyone and everything you’d want for a holiday in Morocco, whether you want history and relax or an active and adventurous escapade. Here are some ideas for when you visit Essaouira:

Get lost in the Medina

Among all the Medinas I visited in Morocco, this was my favourite one as it combines touristy places with more authentic spots. It’s also well-preserved in some areas whilst others are crumbling due to the force of nature and time.

The Medina of Essaouira is a labyrinthine ensemble of narrow streets that will take you from open air souks to souvenir shops and restaurants. You can easily spend two or three days walking and you will keep finding new little streets and different glimpses of the daily life of the locals.

You can join a tour of the Medina but for me the best thing to do in the Medina is just to wander without following any maps and let it surprise you at every corner your turn.

Go to the beach

The Plage d’Essaouira is just a few minutes walking distance from the Medina. This sandy beach is really long as it combines with other beaches so you can go for a long walk.

The beach is normally quite windy which makes it great for water sports such as surfing and kitesurfing but it also has some areas sheltered by the bay which allows to have relaxing swims.

If you walk south for quite a bit along the shore, you will pass an area with lots of camels where you can take a tour, I’m not a fan of tours with animals so if you keep walking fir about 40 minutes you will find some beautiful dunes.

Go surfing or kitesurfing

With an almost constant supply of wind, the beach in Essaouira is great for learning to surf or have some adrenaline rush with a kitesurfing session.

When it comes to surfing, this beach is more for beginners so if you’re more of an advanced surfer I’d recommend you to travel south to places like Taghazout, Anza, Sidi Ifni, and others.

There are lots of surf and kitesurf schools along the beach so if that’s something you always wanted to try, this is a great place as it’s also cheaper to do it here than in other countries.

Go to the fish market

Just outside the city walls and next to the beach you will find the port of Essaouira, the Bab El Marsa gate and the Sqala. And among all this, you will arrive to the chaotic fish market which is quite worth a visit.

There are numerous stalls for buying fresh fish (which you could take to some restaurants for it to be cooked) and oysters. Admittedly, I didn’t dare to try them as I was not convinced by the sanitary conditions for eating seafood over there.

There are also a couple of restaurants and a few minutes away there’s a square full of small restaurants. However, I wouldn’t recommend you to eat there as they all seem to be famous for terrible service and an interest on scamming tourists.

So, my tip for visiting the fish market in Eassaouira is to either just wander around and experience the bustling environment or buy some fresh fish (after your typical haggling) and take it to one of the many restaurants in the Medina that are happy to cook it for you for a small fee.

Go for Hammam

All over Morocco and the Arab cultures is quite common practice for the locals to go to Hammam, also known as Turkish Baths in the West.

The practice of going to the steam rooms, rubbing and washing yourself has multiple health and relaxing benefits.

You will find public Hammans in most towns all over Morocco and in Essaouira you will also find some more luxurious ones aimed at tourists where you can get a full spa treatment.

Go to another beach: Akskis Beach

This one is next to the Bab Doukkala gate and less visited than the main beach in Essaouira. I really liked this one as it’s right outside of the city walls so you get a cool perspective of the city.

You can also walk a lot on the beach and because the sand it’s more compacted you can also go for a run if you’d like to do some exercise while you travel in Morocco.

Try the fig berbers (Figue de Barbarie)

When you start walking in the Medina of Essaouira, as well as in other Medinas in Morocco, you will see some street vendors selling some kind of fruit that perhaps you have never seen in your life (I have only seen it in Morocco so far)

Also known as Prickly Pear Cactus or Nopal, these fruits are carefully peeled by the vendors and handed to you with a toothpick. You can just buy a single fruit to try although as soon as you get one they’re already peeling a second one as they want to sell you more. They’re super cheap though.

The fruit tastes quite nice but I didn’t like much the huge amount of seeds that it has.

Buy Argan oil and Amlou

Almost everywhere in the Medina of Essaouira you will see shops with grinders that pour a brown paste into a container. Similar to peanut butter, Morocco’s version is called Amlou and tastes like an upgrade as it’s a really delicious almond butter made with argan oil and honey.

You will also find on the same shops Argan Oil which has numerous health and beauty benefits, and you can also use it on your meals. This oil is made from the Argan tree which is native to Morocco and Algeria.

If you’re thinking of an idea for souvenirs when going back home after you travel in Morocco, those two are really good options!

Go for a hike to the dunes

Very close to the CTM Bus station, which is about 20min walk from the Medina there’s a sort of park/desert which on maps.me is marked as “wild trail project”.

There are no signs and the entrance looks a bit like a rubbish dump, but go against your instinct and cross the gate as you will then find a really cool area that mixes sand dunes with forest and lovely views of Essaouira in the distance.

Below I’m adding a sample route of how to arrive to the start of the trails from the Medina. Once you get there you can walk for a good few hours if you wish as you can improvise the route along the sand dunes, fear not, you won’t get lost as in most places you will be able to see the city to guide yourself back into it once you get tired.

Eat your way through Morocco’s cuisine

The Medina of Essaouira offers a huge amount of options for trying traditional dishes, and you will find local restaurants with local prices as well as more upscale restaurants all over town.

In the couple of weeks I spent in Essaouira I didn’t repeat a single restaurant, and all the meals I had were delicious. I found the quality to be pretty consistent so don’t be afraid to just sit in any restaurant without checking for online reviews.

The prices are also better than in other cities such as Marrakesh or Fes.

Join a traditional Moroccan cooking class

I consider one of the best ways to have a cultural immersion experience in any country is to join a traditional cooking class to sample and learn more of the cuisine in the country you’re visiting.

This is no exception in Morocco and you can find lots of cooking classes in Essaouira where you will learn not just to cook some some recipes but also discover new spices and flavours that you may not have back home.

Are you ready to visit Essaouira?

Being one of the most incredible places to visit in Morocco, I highly recommend you to add Essaouira to your Morocco itinerary.

If you happen to be debating between Essaouira and Casablanca, I can tell you that there’s absolutely no doubt about it. Visit Essaouira as there’s very little to see in Casablanca.

Drop a comment below if you have any questions for when you travel in Morocco or if you have already been to the Medina of Essaouira please share other tips with your fellow adventurers!

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