# Essaouira A white and blue medina inside walls above the sea, a harbour of blue boats and a long beach with wind. The breather after Marrakesh. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/morocco/essaouira · Revisado: 2026-11-11 ## What is Essaouira? The old Mogador: an 18th-century port city laid out with straight streets inside walls, a World Heritage site since 2001. You tour it on foot in a morning and stay for the rhythm: chargrilled fish, art galleries, cats and seagulls. Two nights is just right; one, if you are in a hurry. ## How to get there from Marrakesh It is about 190 km and around three hours by road. Supratours and CTM have buses several times a day from Marrakesh, and it is the most comfortable way: the medina has no cars and parking outside is easy. From Spain, Vueling flies direct from Barcelona to Essaouira; from other cities, fly to Marrakesh and continue by bus. You need a passport valid for more than six months (checked in November 2026). ## Dónde está - Zonas: Game of Thrones Locations ## Qué hacer - **Ramparts and Skala du Port** (45 min · Everyone · Skala de la Ville free; Skala du Port 60 DH): What they are The walls of Essaouira were raised with the city, from 1760, to defend the port that Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah wanted to open to trade with Europe. There are two bastions to visit, and they are two different visits: The Skala de la Ville, north of the medina: a long platform above the rocks with a row of old cannons pointing at the sea. It is free to enter. The Skala du Port, next to the harbour: a fortress with two wings of about 200 m each that meet at a right angle. One faces the harbour basin and the other the islands, above the old stores for soldiers, ammunition and water. Stones from the Castelo Real, the fort the Portuguese built here in 1506, were reused to raise it. It is paid and run by the Ministry of Culture. What you see From the Skala du Port you see on one side the blue boats of the fishing port and on the other the white medina and the islands of Mogador. Those islands have been a nature reserve since 1980 and are home to about 700 pairs of Eleonora's falcon, which breed there from April to October: with binoculars you will see them fly. Climb to the top of the fortress for the widest view. The Skala de la Ville is the stroll: you walk on the bastion, among cannons, with the surf breaking on the rocks below. It faces west, so at sunset the sun drops right in front. Underneath, in the vaults of the bastion, are the thuya-wood workshops. Hours and price The Skala du Port costs 60 DH for foreign adults and 30 DH for foreign children aged 7 to 13; 30 and 10 DH for Moroccans and residents, who enter free on Fridays. The Ministry of Culture sells the ticket on its ticketing website and gives general hours of 9:00 to 17:00; confirm the closing time at the door, because that figure is the website's in general and not always the monument's. The Skala de la Ville is free and open during the day. Allow half an hour for each. Getting there Both are on foot from anywhere in the medina. The Skala du Port is reached from Place Moulay Hassan, walking towards the harbour. The Skala de la Ville is reached from inside the medina, north of the square, through the thuya workshop area. With children and precautions Children love the cannons, but do not let them climb on them or lean over the wall: below there are rocks and sea. With a pushchair you can reach the platform of the Skala de la Ville; at the Skala du Port there are stairs. The wind blows hard almost always, especially from June to August: hold on to hats and glasses. Astapor, the red city The official Moroccan tourism website says it plainly: these walls trace the outline of Astapor, the red city of Game of Thrones. What you walk on is the same bastion, with the cannons pointing at the Atlantic. There is no route or anything signposted from the series: the wall and the Skala recognise themselves. - **Fishing Port** (1 h · Everyone · Free): What it is The port of Essaouira is a fishing port in full swing, right next to the medina. Since 1982 it has been fishing only, and sardines are its best-known catch. Hundreds of blue-painted wooden boats pile up in the basin, among larger trawlers, spread nets, fish crates and a cloud of gulls. Nothing is staged for the tourist: what is interesting is watching people work. The port was born with the city. Its entrance gate was designed by Ahmed El Inglizi in 1769 and 1770, and it is protected by the Skala du Port, the bastion that can be visited next to the basin. What you see The arrival of the fish. In the morning the boats come in and the fish is unloaded and auctioned in the open air on the quay: sardines, rockfish and shellfish, depending on the day. Buyers haggle loudly over the crates. The shipyard. Next to the quay, wooden boats are built and repaired by hand. You see the hull on the slipway, half finished. The blue boats. When they are not out, they stay in line in the basin. It is the photo everyone takes home from Essaouira, best with the medina and the Skala behind. The cats and the gulls. They live off the port and are everywhere. When to go In the morning, when the boats arrive and there is an auction: it is the liveliest time. At midday you eat at the fish stalls at the entrance. In the afternoon the port is quieter and the light is good for photos, with the sun dropping behind the Skala. In bad weather or a very rough sea, the boats do not go out and there is less activity. Getting there It is at the exit from the medina through Place Moulay Hassan, the large square by the sea: you cross the port gate and you are inside. You enter freely and for free on foot. If you go by car, leave it in the car parks outside the medina; inside the port, fish lorries and vans circulate. Eating fish at the harbour At the entrance, between the port and the square, are the harbour fish stalls: you choose the raw fish at the counter and they grill it for you. Always ask the price per kilo and the total before they put it on the fire. If you prefer to sit with a view, Taros has a terrace above the square. With children and precautions Children love it: boats, cats, oddly shaped fish. Hold them by the hand on the quay, because the quay edge has no protection and there are handcarts and vans moving about. The ground is wet and slippery: closed shoes rather than sandals. A pushchair can manage, though there is little room between nets and crates. The smell of fish is strong, as in any working port. Ask permission before photographing fishermen up close; some do not want it and others will ask you for a tip. - **Essaouira Medina** (2 h · Everyone, with pushchairs on the main streets · Free): What it is and why it is different The Essaouira medina is a purpose-planned city. Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah had it built from 1760 as a trading port with Europe, and the plan was drawn by the French engineer Théodore Cornut. That is why, unlike Fez or Marrakesh, it has straight streets that cross almost at right angles, inside walls that face the sea. For a century it was the country's great port and the seat of consuls and merchants; it was formerly called Mogador. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001. It is the easiest medina in Morocco to stroll without a guide: flat, whitewashed with blue doors and shutters, small and with the sea always on one side to orient you. What you see, from gate to gate A good two-hour route: Enter by Bab Sbaa or by Place Moulay Hassan, the open square between the medina and the fishing port. It has café terraces and is the city's meeting point. Climb up the Skala de la Ville, the bastion with cannons above the rocks, north of the square. It is described in ramparts and Skala. Walk through the thuya-wood workshops below the Skala. Thuya is a tree of the region and here its wood and root are worked into boxes, boards and marquetry. You see the craftsmen in the workshop. Cross the medina along the main street, Avenue Mohammed ben Abdallah and Avenue de l'Istiqlal, which run from gate to gate among shops of spices, argan oil, clothing and art galleries. Look in at the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, at the north end, which was extended in 1865. Today it is very run down, but it recalls that Essaouira had one of the most important Jewish communities in the country. Finish at the central souks: the fish and spice ones, next to the main street, open in the morning. When to go In the morning, with the shops opening and the souks under way, or in the late afternoon, when it cools. In summer the medina fills up, especially during the Gnaoua Festival, held every summer: check the dates before booking, because accommodation rises a lot on those days. The wind blows almost always, harder from June to August: inside the medina you notice it little, on the ramparts a lot. Getting there and getting around The medina has no cars. If you arrive by Supratours or CTM bus from Marrakesh, the stations are outside the walls, a walk or a petit taxi from the medina. By car, leave the car in a guarded car park outside the walls and go in on foot. The porters with handcarts waiting at the gates take your luggage to the riad for a few coins. With children and reduced mobility The main streets are flat and wide: it works well with a pushchair and in a wheelchair along the central axis and the square. The side alleys are narrower and some have steps. It is a quiet medina, with little hassle from vendors compared with Marrakesh. Where to eat and sleep For eating, fish at the harbour stalls or on the terrace of Taros, above the square. For sleeping inside the walls, Riad Mimouna, Villa Maroc or Heure Bleue Palais. - **Essaouira Beach** (2 h · Families and wind sports · Free): What it is Essaouira beach is a sandy bay several kilometres long that begins south of the medina and the harbour and continues in a curve southwards. In front lie the Mogador islands, which partly shelter it from the Atlantic swell. What defines it is the wind: the trade wind blows almost all year and strongly from April to October, above all in summer. That is why it is more a beach for walking and wind sports than for lying on a towel. Getting there and parking From the medina you leave by Place Moulay Hassan and in a few minutes you are on the sand. Along the beach runs Boulevard Mohammed V, a seafront promenade with hotels, cafés and sports schools. If you go by car, there is room to park along the boulevard; agree the tip with the attendant. What to do Walk. The stretch near the city is the liveliest. If you continue south, the beach gradually empties and you can walk a long way along the shore. Surf. The bay has gentle, steady waves, good for learning. Océan Vagabond, on Boulevard Mohamed V, gives one-hour group surf lessons from €22, semi-private from €29 and private for adults from €42, with all equipment included, all year. Kitesurfing and windsurfing. With the strong wind from April to October, Essaouira is one of the country's kitesurfing destinations. Océan Vagabond gives two-hour lessons, semi-private from €95 and private from €123, starting with a safety talk, and hires equipment from €43 for two hours. Horse or dromedary rides. Rides are offered along the sand; agree price and duration before getting on. Swimming You can, but choose your day. The Atlantic water is cold almost all year and in strong wind the sand flies and the towel won't stay put. On calm days, the area near the city is the quietest. Swim only where there are more people and away from the kitesurfing area, take care with currents when there is a swell and do not go far out with children. When to go For walking, first thing or at sunset, with the sun low over the islands. For swimming, days without wind and first thing. For kitesurfing, from April to October, when it blows hard. In summer the wind usually picks up through the day: in the morning the beach is more pleasant. Services On the city stretch there are cafés and restaurants on the promenade and schools hiring equipment. Do not count on sunshades for hire as on a Spanish beach: bring what you need. Further south there are no services. With children and with a dog With small children it works for playing on the sand and at the water's edge on low-wind days; in strong wind, sand in the face tires them soon. They enjoy the horse and dromedary rides. With a dog you can walk on the sand, especially on the quieter southern stretch. ## Dónde comer - **Taros** (Restaurant, Place Moulay Hassan, €€). Qué pedir: a drink on the rooftop at sunset; the cooking is Moroccan and Mediterranean fusion. - **Harbour Fish Stalls** (Takeaway, Port entrance, €). Qué pedir: buy the fish at the fish market and take it to a stall to be grilled: sardines, squid or the catch of the day. ## As a family: The quietest city of the trip After Marrakesh, Essaouira is a rest for everyone: a flat medina, less noise, less hassle and a beach. Children can walk without anyone tugging at them. ### What works best The port in the morning, with the boats and the gulls The ramparts and the Skala, with cannons you can touch The beach, for running about and watching the kitesurfers ### Where to sleep Villa Maroc, with family rooms in the medina A riad with a sea-view terrace in the northern part ### Where to eat Chargrilled fish at the harbour stalls Terraces on Place Moulay Hassan ### Keep in mind A pushchair works on the main streets, not the side ones The wind lifts sand on the beach: sunglasses for the little ones The water is cold all year: a short, supervised swim ### Qué hacer as a family - Ramparts and Skala du Port - Fishing Port - Essaouira Medina - Essaouira Beach ## Consejos ### Eat fish at the harbour You choose the fish at the stalls and they grill it for you. Ask the price per kilo before they put it on the fire. ### Bring a jacket Even when it is sunny, the sea wind gets very cool in the afternoon. ### Go up on the ramparts at sunset The Skala de la Ville faces west: the sun sets over the ocean and the islands. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Can you swim in Essaouira? Yes, but the water is cold and the wind strong for most of the summer. The beach is more for walking, surfing and kitesurfing than for lying down. ### How many days do you need? Two nights for the medina, the harbour and the beach without hurry. You can do it in a day from Marrakesh, but it is six hours on the road. ### Is it good with children? It is one of the quietest cities in Morocco: a flat medina, less hassle in the street and a beach. What tires is the wind. ### Do you have to haggle? In the souks and shops of the medina, yes, as in the rest of the country. At the harbour fish stalls, agree the price beforehand.