Essaouira Tourist Places to Visit in Essaouira, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, Morocco, Africa

Essaouira Tourist Places to Visit in Essaouira, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, Morocco, Africa

Essaouira is a city under the Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz region in western Morocco, located on the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. Essaouira itself is a famous tourist destination, located around 175 km west of the focal point of Morocco’s tourism, Marrakesh. Essaouira is especially noted for its old town, constructed by the Portuguese that is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Along with the old town, beautiful beaches with kite-surfing and windsurfing activities and cultural centres have made Essaouira one of the hot cakes in Morocco’s tourism. Essaouira generally experiences a very mild climate and the geographical coordinates of Essaouira are 31°30′47″ N 9°46′11″ W.

History of Essaouira:

Essaouira is also called as Mogador, which is a Portuguese name, has been used since the 16th century. The present name Essaouira derived from the Berber language, meaning ‘the wall’, indicating the fortress walls that covered the city originally. According to the archeological findings, Essaouira has been inhabited since the prehistoric times and the king Mohammed III was the founder of modern Essaouira.

How to get Essaouira?

Essaouira Mogador Airport is the airport serving Essaouira, situated around 15 km southeast of the midpoint of Essaouira and operates flights from and to Paris and Marseille, catered by Royal Air Maroc, Transavia.com France and Ryanair.

Buses are frequent between Essaouira and Marrakech, charging around 75dh per way.

The local transportation of Essaouira is served by buses, taxis and rental cars and mopeds.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Essaouira:

The Gnaoua Festival of World Music is the centre of Essaouira’s culture, which is generally celebrated in the last week of June annually and it attracts about 450,000 spectators in average.

Some specialty shops in Essaouira include:

Histoire de filles
Le Souk
Flouka de Mogador

Here are some tourist favor restaurants in Essaouira:

Patisserie Driss
La Decouverte
La Triskalla

Things to do in Essaouira:

Kite-surfing
Windsurfing
Biking
Visiting art galleries and spa

Places to see in Essaouira:

The Medina of Essaouira:

The Medina of Essaouira or Mogador is a historic town of Essaouira, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic importance. For easy exploration of medina, visitors can take the aid of a guided tour.

Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah Museum:

The Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah Museum is named in the honor of Mohammed ben Abdallah, the founder of Essaouira. This history museum is housed in the regal palace, Rue Laâlouj and exhibits jewelry, carpets, potteries and coins associated with Essaouira’s history.

Castelo Real:

Castelo Real is a castle built during the Portuguese colonial period in the year 1506. Currently the site of Castelo Real was occupied by the fortifications, named Scala del Mar, which dates from the 18th century.

Beaches of Essaouira:

Essaouira is the site of many spectacular beaches like Essaouira Bay, Mouley Bouzertoune, Sidi Kaouki and Cape Sim with the activities like kitesurfing and windsurfing but swimming is not recommended at Essaouira’s beaches.

Other places of interest in and around Essaouira include:

Golf d’Essaouira Mogador
Essaouira Ramparts
Dar Souiri
Essaouira Beach
Jewish Cemetery
Mogador Christian Cemetery
Simon Attias Synagogue
Mogador Golf Academy
Galerie d’Art Damgaard
Essaouira Nautique Pro center

Best time to visit Essaouira:

Essaouira is a year round destination, although, for beach exploration and other outdoor activities, from March and October is the ideal time.

Accommodation Options in Essaouira:

There are dozens of accommodation centres in Essaouira, more than 500, with a wide range of traditional and modern amenities like spa, sauna, Wi-Fi, AC, food on request, arrangement of tour and vehicle for airport travel. The prominent hotels in Essaouira in Morocco are listed below: