Essaouira is the rare Moroccan city that feels instantly calm. Whitewashed walls, a harbour full of blue fishing boats, and a constant Atlantic breeze that has made it a favourite of windsurfers, artists and filmmakers for fifty years. Once you arrive, the hardest part is deciding what to do first.
Come for the light, stay for the pace. Essaouira has been called the most liveable town in Morocco — a place where the sea air, the seafood and the afternoon breeze conspire to slow you down. Whether you have two days or two weeks, the town rewards anyone willing to trade a busy itinerary for a slow walk along the ramparts.
This guide rounds up the 20 best things to do in Essaouira, from the free and famous sights inside the medina to hidden experiences most visitors miss. If you are planning the trip, many travelers pair Essaouira with Marrakech — you can book a private taxi from Marrakech to Essaouira and be here in about two and a half hours.
Walk the Ramparts of the Skala
Start your first morning with the fortifications that gave Essaouira its nickname, "the city of two winds". The Skala de la Ville runs along the northern wall of the medina and is completely free to walk. You will share it with brass cannons from the 18th century and the occasional stray cat, all overlooking the crashing Atlantic waves below.
Continue to the Skala du Port, the fortified bastion by the harbour, where a small entrance fee (around 10 dirham) buys you the best photo of the fishing boats, the blue nets and the twin towers of the ramparts. Fans of Game of Thrones will recognise this spot as Astapor from season three.
Local tip: Come at sunset, when the low light turns the medina walls golden and the fishermen haul in the day's catch below you.
Explore the UNESCO Medina
Essaouira's medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site, but unlike Marrakech or Fes it was built to a single 18th-century plan by the French architect Théodore Cornut. The result is a grid of straight, tidy streets that are a joy to get lost in. There are none of the chaotic, dead-end alleys you find elsewhere — wander without worry.
Watch for the souks around Avenue Mohammed Zerktouni: woodworkers carving thuya (a fragrant local cedar), silver jewellery, argan oil and colourful leather babouches. Haggling is expected, so offer about half the first price and enjoy the back-and-forth. Our full Essaouira medina guide covers every gate, square and workshop in detail.
The medina's calm layout hides a lively side: around the spice souk you will find artisans beating copper, weavers at their looms and painters stocking the famous Essaouira seascapes. It is also, famously, one of the most wheelchair-friendly medinas in Morocco, with broad, level streets instead of the stepped alleyways of Fes or Marrakech.
What to buy in the souks
- Thuya wood boxes and bowls — handmade in Essaouira, nowhere else.
- Argan oil, both culinary and cosmetic, sold by the litre.
- Amazigh carpets and woven blankets from the surrounding plains.
- Blue-and-white pottery and hand-painted ceramics.
Eat Fresh Seafood at the Port
Every afternoon the fishing boats return to the harbour and the grill stalls on Place du Marché aux Grains fire up. For a few dirham you can eat sardines, sole, squid or sea bass grilled over charcoal, straight off the boat. The fried sardines at Chez Sam and the mixed grill platters are local legends.
For a sit-down meal, the rooftop terraces of the medina serve fish tagines and seared scallops with views over the ramparts. Our guide to the best restaurants in Essaouira lists the top places for every budget, from street food to fine dining.
After the seafood, do as the locals do and book a traditional hammam. A steam bath, a vigorous scrub and a massage at one of the town's hammams costs a fraction of what it would in Europe, and it is the perfect reset after a day in the wind and the salt. Most riads can arrange a private session, or you can use the public hammam for a properly local experience.
Hit the Beach & Try Watersports
The main town beach, Plage d'Essaouira, is wide, sandy and perfect for families — the water is shallow near the shore and lifeguards patrol in summer. The trade winds make Essaouira one of the best kitesurfing and windsurfing spots in the world, and the bay is lined with rental shops and schools that cater to absolute beginners.
Not a board sports fan? Take a long walk to the southern end of the beach, hire a quad bike, or simply lie out with a book and a bottle of Moroccan mint tea. There is a reason Orson Welles filmed Othello here and Jimi Hendrix wrote about the town's peaceful spirit.
The bay also stages one of Morocco's most photographed sunsets, with the kites and sails cutting across a sky that shifts from gold to violet. For the active, the stretch between the town beach and the port is perfect for a long morning run, and the sea-facing promenade fills with families and fishermen at dusk.
Feel the Beat of Essaouira's Festivals
Essaouira is a festival town, and two dates dominate the calendar. The Gnaoua World Music Festival — traditionally held in late June — fills the medina with the hypnotic rhythms of gnaoua, blending Sufi chanting, West African percussion and modern jazz over four days of free concerts in the squares and on the beach. It is one of the biggest events on the Moroccan cultural calendar, and the town swells with musicians and travellers from across the world.
In the autumn, the Alizés Film Festival returns to the city that has always loved the cinema — Orson Welles shot Othello here in 1952, and dozens of crews have followed since. Outside the festival weeks, local gnaoua groups play nightly in the cafés near Bab Marrakech, and a tradition of blues, reggae and Amazigh rhythms runs through the town's DNA. Plan around the festival dates to join the crowds, or avoid them if you prefer Essaouira's quieter side.
Take a Day Trip Outside Town
Some of the best things to do in Essaouira are actually outside Essaouira. The coastline north and south is a string of wild beaches, fishing villages and surf spots:
- Sidi Kaouki (25 km) — kitesurfing, camel rides on the sand and the famous tomb of Sidi Kaouki. See the Sidi Kaouki guide.
- Imsouane (70 km) — home to one of the longest surfable waves in Africa. Read our surfing in Imsouane guide.
- Oualidia (2h north) — a calm, protected lagoon famous for oysters.
- Essaouira argan forests — stop at a women's cooperative to see argan oil pressed the traditional way.
A private driver from Essaouira is the easiest way to combine these trips, letting you set the pace, stop for photos and avoid the stress of negotiating with strangers.
Whatever you choose, build in a stop at the argan cooperatives on the way back. The cooperatives employ local women and are the only reliable place to buy genuine, cold-pressed argan oil — worth double its price back home. A half-day with a driver is enough to see both the coast and the forests without rushing.
Practical Tips for First-Time Visitors
A few local details make a real difference. Carry cash — many souk stalls, small restaurants and the boat trips only take dirham, and while ATMs exist in the medina they are few. Dress respectfully, especially away from the beach, and greet shopkeepers with a friendly "Salam" before you start negotiating. If you are invited for mint tea, accept it; it is hospitality, not a sales pitch, and it buys you goodwill as much as time.
Getting to Essaouira is easier than most people expect. The city has its own airport (ESU) for domestic and a few European flights, and the road from Marrakech is a straight 175-kilometre run through the argan forest. A private transfer means no haggling and a door-to-door drop — our Marrakech to Essaouira taxi is the most popular first ride for visitors, and an Essaouira airport transfer covers the flight arrival side of the trip.
The 20 best things to do in Essaouira — quick list
| Experience | Where | Best time |
|---|---|---|
| Walk the Skala ramparts | North wall, medina | Sunset |
| Visit the Skala du Port | Harbour | Morning |
| Explore the medina souks | Medina streets | 10:00–13:00 |
| Eat grilled sardines | Port stalls | Lunch |
| Windsurf or kitesurf | Plage d'Essaouira | Apr–Oct |
| Camel ride at Sidi Kaouki | 25 km south | Golden hour |
| Surf Imsouane's long wave | 70 km north | All year |
| Visit an argan cooperative | Route to Marrakech | Day trip |
Essaouira rewards slow travel. Two nights lets you cover the medina, ramparts, port and beach comfortably; three or four nights opens the door to the surf villages and coastal day trips. However long you stay, the city's blue-and-white calm has a way of staying with you long after you leave.
Ready to go? Book a taxi from Essaouira to Marrakech, or arrange an Essaouira airport transfer, and let a local driver handle the road while you watch the argan forests roll by.
