Essaouira is unlike anywhere else in Morocco. Its medina is laid out on a grid, planned by a French architect in the eighteenth century; the ramparts are Portuguese and French; and the wind blows almost constantly, which is why the town is the country's windsurfing capital. The streets are white and blue, the gulls are everywhere, and the pace is slower than Marrakech has ever managed.
Most British visitors come from Marrakech: two and a half hours on a good road through the argan forest, where goats really do climb the trees, past the co-operatives that produce argan oil. It is our most requested day trip from Marrakech and works equally well as a one-way transfer for anyone staying a few nights.
The medina itself is pedestrian, but the surroundings want a car: Sidi Kaouki beach 25 km south for surfing and horse riding, the ruins at Diabat, and the vineyards and argan valleys inland. The driver drops you in front of Bab Doukkala, waits, and takes you wherever you want in the afternoon.
Why hire a driver here
- The medina is walled and pedestrian
- The road from Marrakech passes argan forest worth stopping for
- Sidi Kaouki and Diabat have no regular transport
- Parking in front of the gates is limited in season
- Wind and sand make waiting outside for a taxi unpleasant
Included in every booking
- Fuel, tolls and the driver's fee
- A stop at an argan oil co-operative on the way
- Pick-up from a riad, hotel or Mogador airport (ESU)
- Waiting while you explore the medina and the harbour
- Air conditioning and bottled water in the car
