An eighteenth-century walled port on the Atlantic, laid out by a French architect for a Moroccan sultan, Essaouira feels unlike anywhere else in the country. Portuguese in style, the ramparts enclose a medina built as a grid rather than a maze; the fishing harbour is still working, and the wind blows very nearly without pause.
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 70s Fahrenheit while Marrakech sits above 100. For American visitors 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, and the road is good the whole way. Every booking is private, so you can stop for the goats, stop at a cooperative, 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 out of Marrakech through argan forest
- Walled and closed to cars, the medina takes vehicles only to its gates
- In summer the town sits twenty degrees below Marrakech
- Boards and kite rigs need a vehicle that genuinely holds them
- South to Agadir, the coast road stands as a scenic drive by itself
Included in every booking
- Fuel, tolls and the driver's fee for the agreed route
- Marrakech hotel, riad or airport pickup
- English-speaking drivers as standard on the US site
- Photo stops at the argan trees and cooperatives
- Surfboard, kite and luggage space on request, at no charge
