Essaouira means image which can be observed from any angle, it is a perfect and a picturesque beach resort to enjoy the sun and beach of Morocco. The wind surfing and kite surfing are the best activities can be done here and hire a cabin to save yourself from wind. The fish restaurants, plenty of Souks and shops in the old city of center are worth visiting for shopping and food lovers. UNESCO has listed the old city in World Heritage sites. You can see the glance of various cultures in the city of Essaouira. The whitewashed medina with purple ramparts makes this place a beautiful picture. It is the most thriving city of Morocco because at one time the Jewish traders were the major inhabitants here in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Essaouira is Morocco’s cool town and world’s most beautiful place. The ateliers located in the Skala fortress and the work of artisan workers shows the creative nature of Essaouira. George Orson Welles filmed the movie Othello at this place in the year 1949 and after this shooting the city saw many changes as craftsmen turned into artists, street orators into poets and musicians into soul healers. The best thing was that one of the craftsmen created a marqueterie from the roots of Thuya tree. There are superb sandy beaches with the wooded hills dominating the skyline to the east. The charisma of the town is in the souks of medina with its honeycomb. It is the best costal tourist destination in Morocco and is also called as windy city because it is more of a coast than a beach resort. The large number of people at the harbor, the fish auctions, and the stalls serving scorching food is simply worth watching. Experience sun bathing on the long sandy beach with windy atmosphere and is the perfect place to see the striking sunrise and sunset.
Start with your day here with a walk around the oasis skiing in the mountains and swimming in the ocean it is located on the border of Sahara and some highest mountains of Africa this region has several climatic zones summer is the best season in Agadir and the best time to visit Essaouira is from May to September. Windsurfing is the main activity in Essaouira because of the constant winds. The night life here is enjoying with lots of bars, clubs, and restaurants, and it is non European style.
How to reach and where to stay
The Essaouira airport is the main airport located 16km north of town. The Regional Airlines have regular flights to Essaouira and few flights to from Europe to Essaouira. The Marrakech airport and the Agadir airport are the nearest airports. If you are planning to reach here by road than highway which starts in Tangier goes to El Jadida is the best option to reach Essaouira. A beautiful view from the hill can be seen on the route from Marrakech to Essaouira. Busses are also available from airports to reach Essaouira. There are plenty of hotels covering all classes. There is a huge demand of hotels all around the year. It is advised to book in advance, in summer season rental bungalows are also available for visitors. These bungalows however are not cheap but offer more privacy than hotels. There are many low range hotels and restaurants. There are many luxurious hotels with beautiful oceanic view and most of the hotels also provide the activities and equipments for the water and sports activities.
Essaouira Gnaoua World Music Festival
The Gnaoua World Music Festival takes place in Essaouira every year in June from last 10 years. This is a grand festival where many musicians perform on the stage. This is a must watch festival where artists from all around the world reach here and perform in groups and make Gnaoua a music day and evening.
Activities and place to visit
Windsurfing, wind surfing, skiing, golfing etc can be enjoyed here throughout the year. The fun and enjoyment here is for all the year round with your family and friends. There are many places to explore in Essaouira and every place has its own significance. The worth watching places are
- The harbor
Scala du Port- Fish market
- The markets of Essaouira
- Watchtower (Horloge)
- Bab Doukkala
- Jeweler’s market.
