Essaouira is an eighteenth-century walled port on the Atlantic, laid out by a French architect for a Moroccan sultan, and it feels unlike anywhere else in the country. The ramparts are Portuguese in style, the medina is a grid rather than a maze, the fishing harbour still works, and the wind blows almost constantly.
That wind is the point. It makes Essaouira one of the best kitesurfing and windsurfing spots in Africa - a fact that lands well with Australian visitors - and it keeps the town near 22C while Marrakech sits above 40. For anyone doing a week in Marrakech, a day or two here is the standard relief valve.
Getting here is a drive through the argan forest, where goats genuinely do climb the trees, on a good road the whole way. Every booking is private, so you can stop for the goats, stop at a co-operative, or not stop at all. The rate is fixed in advance and covers fuel, tolls and the driver.
Why hire a driver here
- Two and a half hours from Marrakech through the argan forest
- Cars stop at the ramparts; everything inside the walls is on foot
- In an Australian winter escape it sits about twenty degrees under Marrakech
- Board and kite gear needs a vehicle that actually fits it
- The coast road south to Agadir is a scenic drive in its own right
Included in every booking
- Fuel, tolls and the driver's fee for the agreed route
- Marrakech hotel, riad or airport pick-up
- English-speaking drivers as standard on the Australian site
- Photo stops at the argan trees and co-operatives
- Surfboard, kite and luggage space on request, at no charge
