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Voykit pocket guide · Morocco
Essaouira
الصويرة
Give Essaouira 2 nights: walk the ramparts and fish market on day one, take the beach or a kite lesson on day two, and skip it if you want heat and swimming.
Essaouira is a walled 18th-century port on the Atlantic, about 2.5–3 hours by road from Marrakech. The medina is small enough to cross on foot in 20 minutes, the wind blows most afternoons, and the sea is cold. Two nights covers the ramparts, the port, the fish grills and a beach walk; three if you kite or ride. It is a cool-weather and shoulder-season town, not a beach-resort town.
- Country
- Morocco
- Local name
- الصويرة
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (wind and crowds), Dec–Feb (cold sea, rain)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MAD
- Money
- Currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD). Hotels, larger restaurants and chain shops take cards; souks, taxis, small cafés, guides and tips are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget MAD 350–600 excl. bed · Mid MAD 600–1,200 excl. bed · High MAD 1,200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Maroc Telecom, Orange and inwi sell tourist SIMs at airports and shops with a passport; 20–50 GB costs about MAD 100–200.
- Emergency
- Police 19 · Gendarmerie 177 · Ambulance and fire 15 · From mobiles 112
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 220 V · 50 Hz · European round-pin plugs; bring an adapter for UK or US devices.
- Tipping
- Café: Round up or leave MAD 2–5.; Restaurant: 5–10%.; Porter or bag carrier: MAD 10–20.; Guide, full day: MAD 100–200.; Desert camp staff and driver: MAD 100–200 per day shared.
- Water
- Tap water is treated in cities but most visitors drink bottled; carry water in the south.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; squat toilets in older cafés and on the road. Carry tissue and MAD 2–5 for attendants.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Mint tea | MAD 5–15 |
| Harira soup | MAD 5–8 |
| Sandwich | MAD 10–20 |
| Chicken or vegetable tagine | MAD 30–60 |
| Fish tagine with bread | MAD 20–50 |
| Fresh sardines, fish market | MAD 5–6 per pack |
| Grill your own fish at the market stalls | MAD 25 plus the fish |
| Petit taxi in town | MAD 8 day / MAD 9 after 20:00MAD 8 day / MAD 9 after 8:00 PM |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ESU · Essaouira-Mogador Airport
- 16 km (9.9 mi) southeast of town; bus 2, shuttle or grand taxi9.9 mi (16 km) southeast of town; bus 2, shuttle or grand taxi
- RAK · Marrakech Menara
- About 2.5–3 h by road; the usual arrival for most trips
Typical fares
- ESU airport → town, shuttle
- about MAD 50 per person, about 20 min
- ESU airport → town, grand taxi
- about MAD 150 per car, up to 6 people
- Marrakech → Essaouira, CTM or Supratours coach
- about MAD 80 plus MAD 5 per stowed bag, about 3 h
- Petit taxi in town
- MAD 8 day / MAD 9 after 20:00MAD 8 day / MAD 9 after 8:00 PM
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The medina is walkable; mopeds ignore the no-vehicle rule, so keep left and look both ways. Petit taxis charge a flat fare inside town (about MAD 8 by day, MAD 9 after 20:00 — check). Grand taxis cover the airport and Diabat. Buses 2 and the airport shuttle link the centre with ESU.The medina is walkable; mopeds ignore the no-vehicle rule, so keep left and look both ways. Petit taxis charge a flat fare inside town (about MAD 8 by day, MAD 9 after 8:00 PM — check). Grand taxis cover the airport and Diabat. Buses 2 and the airport shuttle link the centre with ESU.
See and do
Known for
- UNESCO-listed medina and ramparts
- Port and fish market grills
- Kitesurfing and windsurfing
- Gnaoua World Music Festival in June
- Argan oil and thuya woodwork
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Diabat and Dar Sultan ruins | Taxi out, walk back along the beach | Half day |
| Sidi Kaouki | Grand taxi or local bus south, about 25 km (16 mi)Grand taxi or local bus south, about 16 mi (25 km) | Half to full day |
| Marrakech | CTM or Supratours coach from town, about 3 h | 3–3.5 h |
| Agadir | CTM coach, about 3 h | 3–3.5 h |
Sleep
- Medina (inside the walls)
- Riads and small hotels; walk to everything, but narrow lanes and no cars at the door.
- Bab Doukkala / Bab Marrakech edge
- Just outside the gates; easier with bags and near the Supratours and CTM stops.
- Beachfront and new town
- Hotels with sea views and parking; 10–15 min walk to the medina.
- Diabat
- South end of the beach, 4–5 km (2.5–3.1 mi) out; quiet, needs a taxi or a long walk.South end of the beach, 2.5–3.1 mi (4–5 km) out; quiet, needs a taxi or a long walk.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | السلام عليكمas-salaamu alaykum |
| Thank you | شكراshukran |
| How much is it? | بشحال؟bech-hal |
| Too expensive | غالي بزافghali bezzaf |
| The bill, please | الحساب عافاكl-hsaab afak |
| Where is the toilet? | فين الطواليت؟fin twalet |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Salam alaykum' and a handshake; hand on heart after; avoid: Offering a hand to a woman first unless she does
- Eating: Right hand, bread as your spoon; avoid: Refusing all food at a home
- Bargaining: Smile, take your time, walk away kindly; avoid: Naming a price you will not pay
- Dress: Shoulders and knees covered in medinas and villages; avoid: Beachwear away from the beach
- Photos: Ask and accept no; avoid: Photographing women or children without consent
- Ramadan: Eat discreetly indoors in daytime; avoid: Snacking on the street
Scams and watch-outs
- Wind is constant from late morning: a light jacket and a hat that ties on.
- The Atlantic here is cold and has a shore break and currents; swim near others, not alone.
- Fish-market grills: agree the total and the weight before cooking, and check the posted price board.
- Some medina lanes flood or turn slick after rain.
- Alcohol is sold at few places; the off-licence is outside Bab Doukkala.
- Touts at the bus station offer rooms; you can walk on and decide later.
Essaouira is calm by Moroccan city standards; the real risks are the wind, the cold water and fish-market bills. Agree prices before you eat, keep bags zipped in the souks, and avoid swimming alone.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Essaouira yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- UNESCO-listed medina and ramparts
- Port and fish market grills
- Kitesurfing and windsurfing
- Gnaoua World Music Festival in June
- Argan oil and thuya woodwork
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Commune d'Essaouira (official): communeessaouira.ma/ar
- Essaouira-Mogador Airport: aeroport-essaouira.com/
- Wikivoyage: Essaouira, revision 5331991 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5331991
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Essaouiraالصويرة
لهذا العنوان عافاك
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Essaouira; most are in Rabat, with consulates in Casablanca and Marrakech (check your country's list).
Print your boarding pass before ESU and get it stamped at a check-in desk, even with no bags; Ryanair is strict on carry-on size here.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/essaouira). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.