Is Essaouira worth visiting? Here are 10 reasons we say yes!

With direct flights from European cities (Ryanair currently fly twice per week from London Stansted), Essaouira has been firmly put on the map as a destination in it’s own right, promising a laid-back and colourful medina, a long swathe of sandy beach, and year-round good weather.

But does this Moroccan coastal town really live up to the hype? Is Essaouira worth visiting?

Well yes it does, and it is absolutely worthy of a visit. Here are ten reasons to persuade you if you’re unsure.

⚠️ WARNING: continuing to read this article may lead to booking flights ⚠️

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1. Easy to get to

Essaouira is pretty easy to get to. There are regular direct flights from European cities to Essaouira.

These include:

• Paris Orly to Essaouira (4 flights per week with Transavia France)
• London Stansted to Essaouira (2 flights per week with Ryanair)
• Brussels South Charleroi to Essaouira (2 flights per week with Ryanair)
• Marseille Provence to Essaouira (2 flights per week with Ryanair)

New flights are being added all the time. Flights from Madrid and Gran Canaria have started in 2023.

Many visitors also travel to Essaouira from Marrakech, as Marrakech is a main tourist hub and just under a three hour drive away. You can either hire a private transfer (your accommodation host will be able to help you with this), grand taxi, or travel by bus from Marrkech to Essaouira (which is the cheapest option, especially for single or couple travellers). If you are visiting Essaouira with kids, you may find that a private transfer is easier and more cost effective for a family.

USEFUL GUIDES:
Essaouira airport guide
How to get from Marrakech to Essaouira
Marrakech to Essaouira bus
Essaouira to Casablanca bus

2. Laid back vibes

Have you previously visited Marrakech and found it all a bit too much? Or perhaps you’ve heard stories of the mopeds whizzing at speed down the narrow medina alleyways, pushy sellers at the markets, or the sensory overload of all the goings on at Jemaa el-Fnaa (the main square) with monkeys on chains, Henna ladies calling out to you in a cockney accent, roving musicians, snake charmers, and let’s not forget the teeth sellers (yes, that’s a thing).

Marrakech is an incredible city to experience, but it’s also utterly exhausting.

Essaouira is very, very different to Marrakech and laid back vibes radiate throughout the medina and along the beach. The shop sellers enjoy a good chin-wag and are rarely pushy, no haggling is required with the petits taxis as it’s a flat fare of DH8, the medina is traffic free, and the sandy beach provides a place of natural calm, even on a windy day.

Essaouira offers a much slower and easy-going pace, and can make for a relaxing destination.

3. Feels safe

The calm vibes of Essaouria create a safe environment. I’ve personally never had a problem walking around on my own (solo female) or with my kids late at night.

Like any tourist town, beware of pickpocketing, especially around the bus station.

However, the vast majority of travellers to Essaouira experience no problems with crime or violence at all. And if you’re visiting Essaouira with kids, Essaouira’s medina feels much safer than that of Marrakech as it’s closed to vehicles, so there are no mopeds whizzing by.

4. Easy to navigate medina

As already mentioned, Essaouira medina is traffic-free, which makes for a calmer wander along backstreets and alleyways compared to other Moroccan medinas. However, I should mention that there is sometimes the occasional moped breaking the rules and driving along the alleyways. Whilst this is very rare, it does happen.

Essaouira medina is also very easy to navigate as it follows a rough grid pattern. There are two main streets that run northeast to southwest: Av. Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah and Av. de l’Istiqla, which runs into Av. Mohamed Zerktouni towards Bab Doukalla. The former is the main street of tourist shops, whereas the latter offers local markets for purchasing fruit, meat, fish, and local produce. These are intersected with little alleyways leading towards the city walls, as well as the larger Rue Mohamed El Qorry, which leads out to Bab Marrakech. If you ever feel like you’re lost, find your way back to one of these main medina arteries.

5. A good range of restaurants

Being a fishing port, it will come as no surprise that Essaouira is haven for seafood lovers. You can even buy food directly from the fishmongers at the port and take it to a local restaurant at the port for them to cook for you.

But the French history of the town also means that there are also some fantastic patisseries and creperies dotted around the medina. Indeed around Moulay Hassan Square, there’s a distinct European vibe with restaurants spilling out onto the pavement and street musicians entertaining passers-by.

You will find the standard tagine, couscous, brochette, and Western standards at most of the restaurants. However, there are also Asian and Italian restaurants, as well as specific vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Essaouira. Some of the restaurants also serve alcohol and there is an emerging bar scene in Essaouira.

In fact there are so many restaurants and eateries in Essaouira that if you ate in a different restaurant or café each day, you would need to stay much longer than a month. So we recommend you check out our list of top restaurants in Essaouira.

6. Beach fun

The windswept beaches to the north and south of Essaouira offer an interesting dimension to the city. Whilst the prevailing winds off the Atlantic isn’t ideal for sunbathers, the 2km stretch of promenade along the main beach in Essaouira makes for a lovely stroll, and there are surf schools for those who want to get active on the waves.

Those visiting Essaouira with kids will appreciate the generally clean and sandy beach to play, and the shallow waters for little legs to splash around. There’s even a beach playground for little ones to go wild in (10DH per child, only open weekends and holidays).

To the north of Essaouira is another long stretch of beach, known to locals as Safi Beach. This beach sees only a fraction of the visitors to the main beach, and is the place to come to escape the high season crowds in July and August. There are no facilities here though, so bring everything you need and leave no trace.

7. Variety of things to do

Whilst it’s a relaxed and laid-back Moroccan town, there are also an array of activities in Essaouira to balance your chilled vibe with an adrenaline hit. Head to Essaouira beach for surfing (including kite-surfing and wind surfing), plus there is also quad biking, horse riding and camel riding!

However, if you’re after a more sedate activity, maybe try a traditional Moroccan hammam in Essaouira; although be warned, all inhibitions need to go out the window!

There are also some great day trips from Essaouira, including visiting the local markets of Had Draa or Ida Ougourd, wine tasting at Val d’Argan, visiting the ‘Castle in the sand’ in Diabat, or checking out the pottery workshops and historical medina of Safi further up the coast.

8. Great accommodation options

Whether you’re looking for a camping spot, a characterful Airbnb in the heart of the medina, a high end hotel, or a beach resort with swimming pool, there will be something in Essaouira to suit your budget and needs. The range of accommodation for such a small town is really quite impressive.

USEFUL GUIDES:
Essaouira campsites
Best hotels in Essaouira

9. Epic ocean sunsets

As it’s perched on Morocco’s western coast, Essaouria offers epic ocean sunsets. Indeed, for any visit to Essaouria, we urge you to make time to watch the sun sink into the Atlantic Ocean; with the sky ablaze with orange hues, soaring seagulls casting silhouettes, and the call to prayer drifting over the rooftops, it really is a magical experience. Get your camera ready!

Just make sure you check out the Essaouria sunset time and best viewpoints in advance.

10. Year round sunshine

Being on the Atlantic coast, Essaouira doesn’t experience the extreme temperatures of other Moroccan tourist destinations, and with an average of 300 days of sunshine, it’s generally a great year-round destination.

In the winter months, daytime temperatures hover around 19°C, whereas in the summer months, daytime temperatures sit just below 30°C. However, there are always days cooler and hotter than this. Indeed, the wind can make all the difference to how warm (or cold) it may feel, especially on the exposed beach; Essaouira has been coined the “Windy City of Africa” for a reason!

Essaouira does experience some cloudy and drizzly days. Indeed it even rains sometimes in Essaouira, although heavy rain is very rare. Drizzly days are more commonly between December and February, but even still, only a couple of rainy days per month are expected. Generally you can expect the sun to be shining for your visit to Essaouira, even if you’re just visiting Essaouira for a day or two.

USEFUL GUIDE:
Best time to visit Essaouira

Final thoughts on visiting Essaouira

So I admit, I’m probably a bit biased as I run an entire blog all about Essaouira. But it really is a wonderful destination to visit and explore, and definitely worth a visit.

If you are now convinced to book flights, check out our top tips for visiting Essaouira, including:

• Best time to visit Essaouira
• What to wear in Essaouira
• How to get around Essaouira
• Essaouira airport guide
• Drinking alcohol in Essaouira

If you’re short on time, check out:

• Essaouira 1 day itinerary
• Essaouira 2 days itinerary

Have a wonderful time!

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