• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
The Travels of BBQboy and Spanky

The Travels of BBQboy and Spanky

  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Destinations
    • EUROPE (A to M)
      • ALBANIA
      • AUSTRIA
      • BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
      • BULGARIA
      • CROATIA
      • CZECH REPUBLIC
      • FRANCE
      • GERMANY
      • GREECE
      • HUNGARY
      • ITALY
      • MOLDOVA
      • MONTENEGRO
    • EUROPE (N to Z)
      • NORTH MACEDONIA
      • POLAND
      • PORTUGAL
      • ROMANIA
      • SERBIA
      • SLOVAKIA
      • SLOVENIA
      • SPAIN
      • SWITZERLAND
      • TURKEY
      • UKRAINE
    • CAUCASUS
      • ARMENIA
      • GEORGIA
    • ASIA
      • CAMBODIA
      • HONG KONG
      • INDONESIA
      • JAPAN
      • LAOS
      • MALAYSIA
      • PHILIPPINES
      • THAILAND
      • TAIWAN
      • SINGAPORE
    • NORTH AMERICA
      • MONTREAL, QUEBEC
      • REGIONS OF QUEBEC, CANADA
      • MEXICO
        • Pueblos Magicos of Mexico
      • U.S.A
    • CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
      • COSTA RICA
      • CUBA
      • DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
      • GUATEMALA
      • NICARAGUA
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
      • CHILE
      • COLOMBIA
    • AFRICA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
      • MOROCCO
      • TUNISIA
      • ZAMBIA
      • ZIMBABWE
    • OCEANIA
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
  • Topics
    • Hikes & Adventures
    • Expat Corner
    • The Best and Worst
    • This or That
    • Looking Back…
    • Blogging & Bloggers
    • Deep Thoughts
    • rants & things that suck
    • plane & train travel
    • Airbnb
    • Travel Accessories
    • religion, morality, patriotism
  • Travel Diaries
  • Resources
  • Work with Us

s

A Visit to the UNESCO beach town of Essaouira, Morocco

A Visit to the UNESCO beach town of Essaouira, MoroccoA Visit to the UNESCO beach town of Essaouira Morocco

Essaouira was the last stop on my 5 week Morocco trip. I have to admit it felt very un-Moroccan compared to other places I visited. There is a relaxed vibe in the air. Locals are friendly and unhurried. Merchants don’t hassle you when you walk by, which might have had something to do with the abundance of tourists (I was there between Christmas and New Year’s. I was told that every Riad in town was full up).

Essaouira is more than just a beach town. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a history dating back to the 5th Century BC. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans took turns controlling the town. In the 15th century the Portuguese came here and built the first fort. In 1510 they lost control of Essaouira and the town became a haven for pirates. But it was the Moroccan king, Mohammed III, who (in the mid 1700’s) oversaw the fortifications you see today. Essaouira would become Morocco’s principal port, using it to ship goods coming from the caravan trade, goods that originated in Sub-Saharan Africa, and came through Timbuktu on the way to Marrakech.

 

Related: The Ultimate guide to Surviving Morocco

 

A Visit to the UNESCO beach town of Essaouira Morocco

 

I was in Essaouira a week which for the normal visitor will be too much. You can do and see almost everything you have to in Essaouira in a day.

 

Related: Castles and Fortresses that you may have never heard of

 


 

 

Things you “have to” do in Essaouira

 

‘1) Walk the ramparts

ramparts, Essaouira Morocco

A Visit to the UNESCO beach town of Essaouira Morocco. Views on Atlantic

 

2) Go to the port for a look at the boats, the fishermen and their catch

port, Essaouira Morocco

fisherman, Essaouira Morocco


3) Explore the citadel (called the scala or sqala) at the port

citadel (called the scala or sqala), Essaouira, Morocco

gloryhole, Essaouira Morocco

 


 

 

But really, Essaouira is a place to just walk and enjoy. Walk to the end of the beach. You’ll get offers to ride a horse or a camel. Walk through the medina, it’s a good place to buy your Moroccan souvenirs. Or walk around the town, following the walls. Sit on a square and order a mint tea or a “nous nous” (a coffee – half coffee, half milk). Walking and sitting, and taking jogs down the beach are what I spent most of my time in Essaouira doing.

 

A Visit to the UNESCO beach town of Essaouira, Morocco

beach views, Essaouira
souvenirs, Essaouira

dogs and cats in Essaouira, Morocco

animals in Essaouira

 

As I say, you can see all of Essaouira in a day. I would recommend 2 full days in Essaouira for the average visitor. But it’s a chilled out place where full-time travellers like to stay longer, like our friends Paul and Paula who are there for a month (which they wrote about here). I like to say that Essaouira is Morocco-lite: with all of the beauty of Morocco but less of the hassle and hustle that most travellers have to put up with when travelling in other parts of the country.

 

So should you make Essaouira part of your Morocco itinerary?  Yes, definitely.

 

Related: 5 weeks in Morocco (and on dealing with liars, scammers and bullshit)

 

the coastal town of Essaouira, Morocco

 


 

 

 

Practical Information

Accommodation. I stayed in 2 different riads while in Essaouira. The better of the two is Riad Maison du Sud which was excellent in every respect. Recommended.

Food. There are some local restaurants on the main street of the medina that are both good and inexpensive. My favorite was a tiny little place next to Pizza Samaresh where they have sandwiches, salads, and pizza (which you can all order to take away as I usually did). There is also a great little Italian restaurant called Taverna Bolognese Da Maurizio where I would go for a pasta and a glass of wine. Very nice.

Getting to Essaouira. I took CTM buses to get to Essaouira from Casablanca (8 hours), and Supratours from Essaouira to Marrakech (3 hours). The service is the same with both but I would recommend Supratours because their bus terminal is right next to the old town (the CTM terminal is about 2 km away). No toilets but they stop for a toilet break.

Transfers and Tours. Instead of taking the bus, you can get this 1st class Private Transfer from Marrakech (fixed group rate). Below you’ll find some popular activities in Essaouira.

 


Weather
. Essaouira is known for its winds which can make it a very chilly place. Funny enough, locals tell me it’s colder in summer (when the winds are strong) than in winter. December was near perfect weather with little wind, clear skies, and temperatures in the high teens (Celcius).

 

Related: Marrakech or Fez?

Related: My Best (and Worst) of Morocco

Related: Highlights and bedbugs in Chefchaouen

 

 

Ps. If you find our blog helpful, please consider using our links to book your flights, hotels, tours, and car rentals. Have a look at our Travel Resources page.

If you haven’t subscribed yet and want to get our posts and newsletters sent to your email, just insert your email address below

Great! Thank you for subscribing. If you don't receive a confirmation email, please check your Spam box.

Filed Under: AFRICA, LATEST POSTS, Morocco

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gilda Baxter

    February 8, 2019 at 10:36 am

    Frank, another collection of great photos 🙂 I am glad you found it relaxing there and did not encounter the harassment you felt in Marrakesh. Lots of great information, interesting about the Portuguese being there in the 15th Century, but sounds like they did not have control for long? or otherwise Portuguese could have been the spoken language there today 🙂

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      February 8, 2019 at 2:48 pm

      Thank you Gilda. You’re right it didn’t last long. And then in the early 1900’s the whole region became a French protectorate.

      Reply
  2. Andrew Boland

    February 7, 2019 at 6:43 pm

    arrr me heartie! Tis a sea-faring town and no mistake!

    looks actually pretty cool Frank!

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      February 8, 2019 at 12:30 am

      Haha! Cute. Thanks Andy

      Reply
  3. Paula

    February 6, 2019 at 7:49 pm

    Looks very relaxing. I tinkered with the idea of going there, but I chose El Jadida instead. Just like Essaouira, 1-2 days is enough for the average traveler. I’ve been here 13 days, leaving tomorrow for Marrakech. I really like it here; it’s peaceful. Just wish I knew French.

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      February 6, 2019 at 10:03 pm

      Language a funny thing in Morocco. I’m glad I can speak French because it helped me 95% of the time. But the guys at the Riad in Imlil only spoke Arabic or Spanish. Weird. And some other people spoke no French but did speak English.
      Good to know about El Jadida. Curious to what you’ll think of Marrakech.

      Reply
  4. Paul Menconi

    February 6, 2019 at 7:20 pm

    Great photos, Frank! You really captured the town. I especially like the classic “hole” photo — with seagull. I agree that two days is enough for most tourists. We’re hanging out here for a month, enjoying the sun and sand (but staying off the beach: when the wind blows, as it often does, you get sandblasted!)

    This might be a good place to start a visit to Morocco. Ease into it slowly. Of course, you do have to go through Casablanca or Marrakech. Although, it is possible to fly between Essaouria and London-Luton, Paris-Orly, Dusseldorf, and Casablanca, although there are not necessarily flights every day. (We’ve only arrived by bus from Marrakech, though.)

    Reply
    • Frank (bbqboy)

      February 6, 2019 at 7:28 pm

      Yes, the famous “hole” photo, otherwise known as the Essaouira gloryhole. Actually I might be the only one who calls it that.

      I was lucky enough to get perfect weather, no sandblasting. I really agree with Essaouira as a place to dip your toes in Morocco. I’m really impressed that you guys are there a month though. Even a week there and I would see the same local characters every day…

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sidebar


Hi! We are Frank & Lissette from Canada. We sold our home in 2014 and have been travelling the world ever since.

About Us

Interested in Spain? See Mapping Spain, our new website that focuses exclusively on Spain

Follow us on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · The Travels of BBQboy and Spanky · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy

Nerja

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok