Essaouira is an eighteenth-century walled port on the Atlantic, laid out by a French architect for a Moroccan sultan, and it feels different from 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, and it keeps the town in the low 20s Celsius while Marrakech sits above 40. For anyone on a short break in Marrakech, a day here is the standard relief valve.
Essaouira-Mogador takes seasonal European flights, so it also works as an entry point in its own right for a quieter Atlantic trip. Getting here from Marrakech is a drive through the argan forest where goats genuinely climb the trees. Every booking is private and the rate is fixed in advance.
Why hire a driver here
- Two and a half hours west of Marrakech, all through argan country
- Ramparts enclose a car-free medina; vehicles halt at the gates
- The town runs twenty degrees cooler than Marrakech in summer
- Boards and kite equipment demand a vehicle with the room for them
- Seasonal European flights make it a viable entry point on its own
Included in every booking
- Fuel, tolls and the driver's fee for the agreed route
- Marrakech hotel, riad or airport pickup
- English, French and Spanish-speaking drivers available
- Photo stops at the argan trees and co-operatives
- Surfboard, kite and luggage space on request, at no charge
