Essaouira
Discover Essaouira
In addition to the new town, Essaouira offers a picturesque medina (old town) surrounded by seawalls and city walls, designed by a French architect in the 18th century, a harbor with fish market, and a long beach with numerous water sports opportunities. Once a hippie hangout, Jimi Hendrix and Cat Stevens spent some time here. Orson Welles filmed part of his Othello in town; west of the medina there's a square named in his honor. Three are flights from Charleroi, London, Madrid, Marseille, Paris, Tangier, Weeze, operated by RyanAir and Transavia. Also seasonal flights from Gran Canaria by Binter Canarias and from Bordeaux by easyJet.
Taste of Essaouira...
Although Essaouira is on the sea, seafood sold to tourists can be quite expensive. Fishermen sell their catch through the market hall and you can have it cooked at the small stands nearby. Prices are clearly marked by weight on the large pricing board at the end of the fish market stalls, but this seems to make little difference to the chances of being hustled. Sample price: 5 dirham for pack of fresh sardines (10 one of them) in fish market. Carefully evaluate how much you are being charged. A cheaper option is to buy Harira (a spicy soup) for 5-8 dirham or a sandwich (i.e. at Blue facade for 10-20 dirham, walking at the street from fish stands to the Medina). One of the best options is to buy your seafood from the dock (haggling sometimes required) where they sell everything from eels to sharks, then take your fish to the central market side streets (follow the smoke!) where they will grill it for you for only 5 dirham a grill rack, they will also grill your vegetables or make Moroccan salad. Seeing locals carry frozen fish in their hands around the corner to these stalls is common. There are many reasonable restaurants and cafés on the main streets and squares. Some of the hotels have licensed bars, but it's hard to beat the terrace bar Taros for its view over the lively Place Moulay el Hassan and the harbour.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThree are flights from Charleroi, London, Madrid, Marseille, Paris, Tangier, Weeze, operated by RyanAir and Transavia. Also seasonal flights from Gran Canaria by Binter Canarias and from Bordeaux by easyJet. 31.3975-9.6816671 Essaouira-Mogador Airport (ESU ) (16 km SE from the city). There is an Al Barid ATM and a tourist information office. Please note, boarding passes have to be printed out before heading to the airport and then stamped at a check in desk, even if you have no bags to check in. Also, Ryanair is notoriously stricter about carry-on bag sizes at this airport. (updated Aug 2024) Larger international airports are in Agadir, Marrakech and Casablanca. Bus departures are not 100% reliable. They may be canceled or rescheduled. It is also common for the buses to be sold out. Get your ticket in advance to be sure. Tickets are rarely available for the next departing coach with Supratours and CTM....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The walled center of town, the Medina, is supposedly restricted to non-motorized vehicles, but this rule is widely ignored in the case of mopeds which are an increasing nuisance. However, compared to e.g. Marrakech the mopeds are much less of a hazard. Other than that, there are occasional donkey carts to dodge. Taxi costs a flat fee of 8 dirham during day and 9 dirham after 20:00 (as of Jan 2024). Essaouira is a perfect example of a late 18th century fortified town, with the original canons still in place and where Orson Wells shot his Othello, "The Moor of Venice". The UNESCO World Heritage Listed medina: check out the fish market at the west end, watch the sunset from the seawall at the Place Moulay Hassan, visit the Scala (wall tower north east of the Place), walk through the markets towards Bab Doukkala at the east end, and check out the artisan's shops near the eastern wall. Essaouira's craftsmen are renowned for their woodwork and lacquerware.
Where to Stay
If arriving by bus, locals may surround you as you exit offering discount riads or accommodation in their homes for as little as 150 dirham (can be negotiated down to 75 dirham), though you will not get a view of the ocean for this. There are many hotel options available so feel free to bypass them. You can always return to the bus station and they will still be there. Avoid the dealers selling "hash brownies" near the square, they are usually fake Hashish is widely smoked in Morocco, but do not be fooled into thinking it is legal even if you see Moroccans smoking during the day. Smoking or being high in public is seen as a vice, especially near holy places, in the morning, or if you are drawing attention to yourself; use your judgement.
Money & Budget
Essaouira's craftsmen are renowned for their woodwork and lacquerware. Intricately inlaid boxes, chessboards and curios can be found for good prices in the city's hundreds of shops; however, be aware that extensive deforestation is taking place in the area due to these woods not being replanted. Artwork of all kinds can be had here. Although Essaouira is on the sea, seafood sold to tourists can be quite expensive. Fishermen sell their catch through the market hall and you can have it cooked at the small stands nearby. Prices are clearly marked by weight on the large pricing board at the end of the fish market stalls, but this seems to make little difference to the chances of being hustled. Sample price: 5 dirham for pack of fresh sardines (10 one of them) in fish market.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Avoid the dealers selling "hash brownies" near the square, they are usually fake Hashish is widely smoked in Morocco, but do not be fooled into thinking it is legal even if you see Moroccans smoking during the day. Smoking or being high in public is seen as a vice, especially near holy places, in the morning, or if you are drawing attention to yourself; use your judgement.