What to See and Do in Essaouira - Morocco's Art and Surf Town

Essaouira is an artsy, bohemian beach town on the southern Atlantic coast of Morocco. Its laid-back vibe makes it a great place to recover from the chaos of the big cities, like Fes and Marrakesh.

In a day and a half in Essaouira, I didn’t actually explore too much, but I did get some much needed relaxation, which is exactly what Essaouira is great for.

TOP THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN ESSAOUIRA

THE BEACH

You would think Essaouira would be great for relaxing on the beach because the town is surrounded by beaches, but it’s very windy so that can put a damper on beach days. But the wind makes it great for watersports…

SURF, WINDSURF, KITESURF

Essaouira is known as the “Wind City of Africa’, which is ideal for all forms of surfing.

RELAX AND CHILL OUT

One of the best things to do in Essaouira!

essaouira

If you need some assistance with relaxing…

VISIT A HAMMAM

Get a good scrub and massage.

EXPLORE THE MEDINA

The medina is a lot more chill and far less chaotic than Fes and Marrakesh, and you’ll find much better deals here. Along with loads of beautiful, colorful art and textiles at very reasonable prices.

Essaouira

EXPLORE THE ART GALLERIES

The town is a major hub for contemporary Moroccan artists, so art and galleries are aplenty.

EAT SEAFOOD

Essaouira is on the coast, so it would be rude to not enjoy the plentiful seafood it has to offer 🙂

MY EXPERIENCE

I had arrived in Essaouira late at night with 2 of the 8 people I had met and road-tripped with in Morocco over the last few days. Arriving late at night in any town, when nearly everything is dark and closed, typically gives off a very different impression, but my first impression of Essaouira was that the medina was actually clean and pretty and it appeared to be safe, unlike Fes.

And we found a rooftop bar! This was the first bar I’d seen after 10 days in Morocco. We shared a bottle of wine on the laid-back rooftop and enjoyed the view of the (dark) ocean. After, we checked out another bar, but it was a completely different scene- it was extremely smokey, seedy, loud and 98% men, so we left. Outside of the bar, a group of drunk Moroccan guys tried to pick a fight with my guy friend. So I suppose you could say that Essaouira wasn’t completely devoid of the issues found in bigger cities/men are similar everywhere you go 🙃 I would still consider Essaouira safe, but it’s important to always be careful.

A friend suggested I stay at Surf Lounge Hostel (50D/night or $5.50US), which was a great suggestion. The owner is really nice, friendly and chill. He made the hostel a delicious homemade dinner of chicken, rice and lemon, and an avocado smoothie (made with avocado, milk, dates, sugar and pistachios. So creamy and sooo good. An absolute must try in Morocco!)

WHAT TO WEAR

For the ladies – because Essaouira is a beach town, some tourists are more relaxed with their Western clothing choices. If you want to bare a little skin in Morocco, this would be one of the best places to do it. However, you’ll likely feel more comfortable if you’re a bit more covered up, but the choice is yours.

If you want to wear a bikini at the beach, there are certain areas in front of resorts and restaurants where it’s acceptable. On the main beach, near the medina, I only saw the men in swimsuits, while the women were fully covered.

DAY TRIPS

WATERSPORTS IN SIDI KAOUKI – Located 25 km south of Essaouira, this town is one of the best locations in Morocco for surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing because the wind is even stronger here than in Essaouira.