Entrance to the Medina.
Essaouira is a young yet old city, an exotic town where time does not count and where color takes over. Everything looks bright, happy, and full of different colors. This includes stores, individuals, and the yummy food.
The roads are full of people and the air smells like fish that was just cooked. Walking through unknown paths can lead to exciting surprises.
Women who cook delicious tajines are allowing the public to come to their kitchens. If you put some plastic seats and small wooden tables together, you can make a restaurant. Making a yummy homemade meal with a pot of mint tea for two is simple and easy.
Breathing the real local breeze for an insignificant price. You just settle… You settle for no napkins, doubtful cleaning conditions, but the best tajine.
Cooked in a Moroccan kitchen and with that homely taste no restaurant has among its condiments.
Visit the Medina of Essaouira
Shop in the Medina.
UNESCO has listed the Medina of Essaouira as a World Heritage Site in Morocco in 2001. It is a well-preserved example of eighteenth-century architecture.
Cobbled streets and concealed alleys look perfect for a mystery novel. White buildings and their traditional blue doors offer an insight into a glorious past.
Walk down the little streets under the sunlight, enjoy a cup of mint tea, and relax on a terrace. Breathe in the past, walk through its doors, in and out. You will be entering and leaving a different world each time.
Check the Port of Essaouira
A legend tells that Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah founded the port of Essaouira to punish the rebellions in Agadir. It was 1770.
Until the first part of the XIX century, Essaouira was the most important trading port between Europe, Africa, and America. It is the oldest port of Morocco but lost its importance after the growth of Casablanca and Agadir.
Later in the day, the catch of the day is found in many restaurants and seaside fish stands. Just choose your fresh fish, get it weighed, and enjoy it grilled right on the spot.
The People of Essaouira
Essaouira is a unique city where two different tribes live together. The Arabs from the north and the Berbers from the south. This city has a mysterious feel to it. Also, having many people from Europe makes the culture more diverse. However, even though it feels mysterious, it is still a bright city. The sun shines from the port and makes the people in Medina's faces brighter. What makes something beautiful is different for everyone.
Artists, painters, dancers, and musicians populate the streets at all hours. They mix with the tourists, with a reggae spirit. A hippie allure covers it all, life earns a new sense. And you get the impression of living in a parallel Universe.
Nobody will harass you, and you will not be asked to buy, nor begged to bargain. It’s your choice. Essaouira has a lazy touch that would make you feel well. At home.
We also invite you to get in touch if you need extra help planning your trip!