Essaouira Medina

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.