Fishing Port

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.