Essaouira: A Quiet Escape on Morocco’s Atlantic Coast

A three-hour drive from Marrakech lies Essaouira, a small and picturesque city on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Formerly known as Mogador, its white buildings with blue doors, narrow, winding alleys, and ancient fortifications are some of the most recognisable in the country.

Unsurprisingly, Essaouira has served as the background for a multitude of big-production films and tv series, from John Wick to Kingdom of Heaven and even Game of Thrones!

Essaouira is also the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the big cities. After spending some time in Marrakech, we were definitely in need of a bit of fresh air and some peace and quiet, so we hopped on a bus and spent a few days exploring this charming seaside destination.

Here is what our experience in Essaouira was like, the easiest way to get there, and what we enjoyed the most, as well as what we didn’t like as much.

Let’s get started!

This is how to get to Essaouira

Essaouira is easily reachable by catching a bus from Marrakech’s coach station.

There are several bus companies that provide the same service, and we chose CTM since we wanted to book our seats in advance and they seemed to be the only ones who accepted foreign credit cards online. Plus, we had heard good things about them, so we were definitely looking forward to our trip!

In total, we spent 324 MAD for two round-trip tickets, and were very happy with our choice: The seats were super comfy, and along the way, we passed some amazing scenery such as rocky deserts, small farms, and busy countryside towns.

The trip took around three hours, with a short 20-minute stop in between to stretch our legs and grab a bite to eat. On that note, we recommend bringing your own lunch because the rest area where the bus stops at charges an arm and a leg for food.

Taking the bus from Marrakech or Agadir is the easiest way to reach Essaouira, but alternatively, you could also catch a flight. However, the Essaouira-Mogador Airport is really tiny and is only reachable from a very small number of destinations. Renting a car is another option, but considering the cost of renting and fuel, plus the fact that Moroccans are pretty wild drivers and that the police is known for targeting foreign drivers, you might just be better off taking the bus.

The grand Place Moulay Hassan, inside the medina of Essaouira.

Essaouira is super walkable

From the coach station, it’s a chill 20-minute walk to the city’s medina.

Coming from Marrakech, walking through Essaouira was a completely different experience: Given that it’s a much smaller city with about a tenth of the population, it’s much quieter and a lot cleaner, and overall more pleasant to stroll through.

The sidewalks are mostly large and flat, making it easier to walk around with suitcases, and even crossing the street felt much safer and less like a gamble!

The only problem is that there is not a whole lot to see outside of the old town, so apart from the way between the coach station and your stay, you probably won’t be going for long walks around the city unless you’re really in the mood to explore.

Something else you might notice when walking around the city is that people tend to observe and stare a bit more than what we had experienced in Marrakech. We experienced this mostly outside of the medina, which makes sense since that’s where most tourists stay, but we always felt this was more due to curiosity and we never felt unsafe or threatened in any way.

No need to negotiate taxi prices

Negotiating prices in Morocco is part of the culture, and taxi rides are no exception.

However, unlike street vendors, we found that taxi drivers would consistently charge way more than what would be reasonable and would be a lot less open to negotiating and bringing the price down. That’s why, after stepping off the bus, we covered the short distance to our riad on foot instead of taking a cab.

It was only later that we found out that, unlike every other destination we’ve been to in Morocco, taxis in Essaouira charge a flat fee of 8 MAD (9 MAD at night) for all destinations within the city limits, regardless of the distance.

Being able to hop in a cab and not having to worry about getting ripped off made exploring Essaouira absolutely more fun and relaxing, since we didn’t have to worry much about distances. Just remember to use the blue cabs and that you’ll have to pay cash.

Also, try to pay the exact amount or at least close to it, and don’t expect your driver to break large bills such as 100 or 200 MAD.

The medina is small and very local

While the new city is nice but doesn’t have a lot to see, the medina of Essaouira is one of the best that we’ve visited so far in Morocco.

There are slightly fewer souvenir shops than what you’d see in other cities and many more businesses catering to locals, such as markets, repair shops, and small cafés.

All in all, Essaouira’s medina feels more like a living, breathing place and not just something that’s there to entertain tourists. We also found people to generally be extremely friendly, and vendors were a lot less aggressive than those in larger, more touristy cities.

Since it’s pretty small, the old town is less crowded and also easier to navigate than the one in Marrakech. We still got lost plenty of times, but after a few hours wandering around, we managed to more or less find our way around without having to constantly rely on a map.

Cats, cats everywhere!

If you’re not a cat person, prepare yourself, because in Essaouira’s medina, they are everywhere.

From observing you from the rooftops and walls, napping on chairs and resting on top of exposed carpets and pillows, to demanding food while you sit down outside for a meal, Essaouira’s cats are an ever-constant presence.

The locals love them, and they are absolutely the undisputed rulers of Essaouira!

Cats enjoying traditional Moroccan textiles sold in the medina.

Essaouira’s main sights

Essaouira’s medina is also home to most of the city’s sights.

Place Moulay Hassan is the old town’s main square, from which a small opening allows access to a rocky beach located below the walls of the old fort. From Place Moulay Hassan, you can go straight through the Bab El Marsa gate to the city’s lively port that is usually stacked to the brim with colourful fishing boats, and where vendors sell the catch of the day and huge flocks of seagulls fly above and eagerly wait for the chance to snatch away a meal.

It’s a really interesting location to check out, even though we don’t recommend staying too long because of the absolutely awful smell. Eating there is also not a great idea, as several eateries in the port lack quality and have been known to scam tourists with overblown prices.

After getting lost through the alleyways of the medina, don’t forget to go up to the ramparts of the old fort at the end of the day and catch the incredible sunset from the top of the walls.

The entry is free, and the view of the Atlantic Ocean and the sun disappearing over the horizon is a must-see. Even though access to the walls is actually forbidden after 19:00, nobody really seemed to care, and at worst, you’ll just be asked to leave after the sun has set.

Also, keep in mind that, despite the access being closed in the evening, the ramparts get packed for sunset, so try to arrive with a bit of time to find a spot from which you can actually see the view.

We also really enjoyed going for walks along the beach, or just sitting on the sand and people-watching while the powerful waves of the Atlantic crash down on the surf. It does get really windy, however, and the sun can be deceptively powerful, so we recommend bringing sunscreen and a scarf or a beanie to protect yourself.

The beautiful sunset seen from the ramparts of the old fort of Essaouira.

All in all, Essaouira was the perfect break from the sometimes overwhelming vibe of Marrakech.

Even though a couple of days were more than enough to see everything the town had to offer, we loved our time there, and we recommend you stay at least a few days longer if you really want to take your time and enjoy the city’s relaxing atmosphere!

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