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Experience the real Morocco with expert guides
Top-Rated On Tripadvisor Trips for All Budgets Experience the real Morocco with expert guides
Known as Mogador to the erstwhile Portuguese inhabitants, Essaouira is a former fishing village located in the region of Marrakech-Safi. Today, Essaouira is a booming port with a vibrant, fun atmosphere. It has become one of the must-see Moroccan destinations for surfers, art enthusiasts, and craft shoppers.
Essaouira’s appeal is its charming combination of old medina ramparts, ideal temperatures, a laid-back atmosphere, iconic port and sandy beach, plus a wide range of the freshest seafood. All of this has attracted film makers and famous musicians over the past decades. Add in the warm hospitality of the locals and it becomes clear why Essaouira is becoming such an enchanting spot in Morocco, that is more than just a day trip from Marrakech.
The fortified ramparts of the old medina of Essaouira were built by the Portuguese in 1760 turning this small fishing town into a fishing port, commercial centre, protection from sea invaders.
An icon of the town, they are beautiful pieces of historic architecture together with their still intact Portuguese cannons and fabulous views over the Atlantic Ocean.
A favourite pastime in Essaouira is strolling through the meandering alleyways of the fortified medina, full of vibrant little shops and colourful bazaars.
In particular you will find the local thuja wood-work from tiny items to large tables and cabinets. Essaouira medina is the perfect place to purchase authentic souvenirs for friends and family.
As one of Morocco’s main fishing ports during the mid-1900s, Essaouira’s seaport and fishing market offer an authentic experience. So you can buy from the day’s catch and have it prepared for your lunch on the spot.
Essaouira’s fishing port is also a photographer’s paradise with its blue boats, swarms of gulls, and men tending their nets. And it is the perfect place to admire the sunset and enjoy the cool breeze off the Atlantic coast.
Essaouira is a windy coastal town; a prime all-year-round destination for windsurfing and kitesurfing. Surf shops and windsurfing/surfing schools at the far end of the beach offer classes for beginners.
In the same area, you will also find horse and camel rides as well as quad biking to add to the attractions of this unique coastal town.
Essaouira offers its visitors an opportunity to combine a relaxed beach holiday with an adventure to the magnificent Sahara Desert.
Here at Desert Majesty, we offer an exclusive list of desert tours from Essaouira to the main desert destinations in Morocco. Merzouga is a more touristy and popular desert destination giving easy access to the north. The Erg Chegaga dunes beyond M’hamid El Ghizlane are the wilder and still untouched desert dunes of Morocco.
Does combining a beach holiday with an exploration of the great Sahara Desert intrigue you? Contact Desert Majesty now and soon you will be on a desert adventure like no other.
