"A day out by the sea" Essaouira by toonsarah

Essaouira Travel Guide: 477 reviews and 1,246 photos

Medina, Essaouira

Two days after my fall in Marrakesh, and with one day of our holiday already lost to doctors and clinics, we decided to press ahead with our original plan of a day trip to the coast, as sitting in a taxi watching the scenery go past seemed a lot easier than tackling the streets of Morocco on foot.

And so it proved – we had a lovely relaxing, though long, day out which showed us that something at least of our holiday could be retrieved despite the unexpected and unwelcome change in our circumstances.

Goat in a tree

Leaving Marrakesh after an early breakfast we headed west through a fairly dry and dusty landscape interspersed with villages and small towns. Most of these serve as markets for the Berber farmers in the surrounding area, so were full of life and interest for us.

We stopped several times en route – for coffee, to visit a carpet co-operative (and succumb to temptation there!) and to see the local oddity known as “goats in trees”. Some of my tips on this page relate to our experiences on the journey rather than to Essaouira itself.

Skala du Port, Essaouira

We arrived in Essaouira in time for a leisurely lunch in the main square. The light was beautiful, the sea air refreshing, the activity around us fascinating but much less frenetic than in Marrakesh. After lunch Chris had a walk around the port area and took lots of photos, while I sat on a bench and did the same in the square.

I then managed a short hobble around a few streets in the old town (the Medina is a Unesco World Heritage Site) before it was time to head back to Marrakesh. It was dark as we approached the city and a huge red moon was rising – a sign of hope after the mess of the previous day and a wonderful end to our day out.

Pros and Cons

In a nutshell:Just the seaside tonic we needed

Last visit to Essaouira: Nov 2009
Intro Updated Dec 24, 2011
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Reviews (7)

Carpets hanging on the kasbah wall - Essaouira

We never buy! Shopping (1)

It’s pretty much expected if you go on any sort of tour in a country like Morocco that you will be encouraged to stop... more travel advice

Goats in trees Local Customs (1)

Much of the landscape between Marrakesh and Essaouira is scrubby desert, used by Berbers for goat and sheep farming.... more travel advice

Place Moulay Hassan, Essaouira - Essaouira

Place Moulay Hassan Favorites (1)

After a stressful time on the previous day, dealing with doctors and clinics and having my foot put in plaster, a few... more travel advice

The Medina Things to Do (2)

The Medina of Essaouira was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. Its ramparts protect a maze of streets and... more travel advice

Restaurants (1)
Nice little lunch spot

Transportation (1)
By grand taxi from Marrakech

Comments (11)

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aussirose Sep 19, 2010 at 3:16 AM

Enjoyable page Sarah :o) Sad to hear about your broke foot....but glad to hear that you had a nice day out here. Thanks for the bd wishes. We just got back from KL and Pulau Tioman. Had a wonderful time!! Hugs xx
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Nemorino Dec 11, 2009 at 5:20 AM

Es-Saouira certainly deserves its name meaning "beautifully designed". Great that you were able to see so much even with your foot in a cast.
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deecat Dec 4, 2009 at 2:56 PM

Wonderful! Would have loved to have seen a photo of "your" carpet. My daughter bought one there 20 years ago. Great restaurant tip. Always enjoy your insights, fine writing, and wonderful photographs.
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sourbugger Dec 3, 2009 at 5:54 AM

looking forward to hearing more about your moroccan adventures. reagrads. sb.
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Dabs Dec 2, 2009 at 7:28 AM

Love the carpet story, I've been through a couple of those carpet demonstration but haven't been persuaded...yet...Love the photo of the goats too :-)
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HORSCHECK Nov 30, 2009 at 1:14 PM

Fantastic little page about your sidetrip to Essaouira. Oh, and I didn't know that you are that good at haggling. Well done. :-)
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angiebabe Nov 26, 2009 at 11:24 AM

Have enjoyed your new page Sarah, glad you still travelled off to Essaouira!Would be interested to see a pic of your new carpet!? - you did rather well with the price for it!...one advantage of times still being tight!
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Yaqui Nov 24, 2009 at 8:29 AM

Medina and Skala du Port look fabulous. The little goat is adorable. Those carpets were pretty, but its good your aware of this local tourist trap. Nice page!
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willy_wonka Nov 23, 2009 at 3:34 PM

hahah i was gonna call you a 'sucker' for succumbing to buy buy buy! but i wont call you that, because i would of done the same! im weak when it comes to purchasing! glad you had a nice day after the stress! :)
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richiecdisc Nov 23, 2009 at 3:15 PM

A charming town for a day trip and good on you for not letting a broken foot get you down. Sounds like the ride out is almost as nice as the ocean breezes, surely a relief from the hectic scene in the city, especially on crutches!