Day Trip to Essaouira

Day Trip to Essaouira

Essaouira is around 2.5 hours' due west of Marrakech and is one of Morocco's most charming coastal fishing towns.  Set on the Atlantic coast, the town is at the end of a 10 km long sandy bay and near a rocky coastline with offshore islands. The walled town is a great place for first time visitors to explore and there is a good choice of beach side activities.

Essaouira is fortunate to have an excellent climate, with cooling sea breezes in the summer (also good for water sports) and warming lowland air in winter.  This lovely climate, together with its beautiful Portuguese architecture, has always attracted artists and poets, but it continues to be a traditional fishing port at its heart to this day.

Essaouira is the perfect destination for a day trip away from the hectic activity of Marrakech, with a vast array of things to do and try including:

• Shopping in the souks for leatherwork, metalwork, glazed pottery, jewellery, brightly coloured carpets, original art, olives, spices, rare argan oil and more ..... 
• Visit the port and watch fishermen landing their catch or learn how boats are crafted using centuries-old techniques, then eat  super-fresh grilled fish or shellfish at one of the seafood stalls
• Visit Place Joutiya between 4 and 5 pm to watch locals auctioning everything from teapots to trousers
• Walk 2 miles along the beach at low tide to see the romantic fort of Borj El Barod crumbling into the sea, or the ruined sultan's palace at Diabet
• Take a boat to the Iles de Mogador, breeding ground for the rare Eleanora’s falcon
• Try some watersports (surfing/ kitesurfing/ windsurfing/ bodyboarding/ kayaking) - or just sit at a beachside café and watch
• Relax and watch the world go by with coffee or mint tea, and maybe a Moroccan pastry, in one of the cafés on Place Moulay Hassan
• Discover the craftsmanship and exquisite carpentry in the little thuya wood workshops under the ramparts