Essaouira was fortified by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century as Mogador, then rebuilt in the eighteenth by a French architect working for a Moroccan sultan. The result is a walled Atlantic port that looks and feels quite unlike the rest of Morocco - and distinctly familiar to anyone who knows Portuguese colonial building in Brazil or on the African coast.
The ramparts are Portuguese in character, the medina is a grid rather than a labyrinth, the fishing harbour still works for a living, and the wind almost never stops. That wind has made it one of the best kitesurfing spots in Africa and it holds the town near 22C while Marrakech sits above 40.
The road out runs through the argan forest, where goats genuinely climb the trees, on good tarmac the whole way. Every booking is private, so you can stop for the goats, stop at a co-operative, or drive straight through.
Why hire a driver here
- Portuguese fortifications from the sixteenth century, familiar in shape
- Marrakech lies two and a half hours back through the argan
- Walled and pedestrian, the medina halts vehicles at its gates
- Come summer, the town sits some twenty degrees below Marrakech
- The southbound coast road to Agadir is worth taking on its own account
Included in every booking
- Fuel, tolls and the driver's fee for the agreed route
- Marrakech hotel, riad or airport pickup
- Spanish, Portuguese and English-speaking drivers available
- Photo stops at the argan trees and co-operatives
- Surfboards, kite gear and extra luggage space at no charge
