Essaouira — City of the Atlantic Wind

Essaouira: where Morocco meets the Atlantic

If Marrakech is red, Chefchaouen blue and Fès ochre, then Essaouira is white and azure — the colours of its houses, its sky and its ocean. This port city on Morocco's Atlantic coast is a place of wind, light and freedom that draws artists, surfers, musicians and travellers in search of a Morocco different from the one in glossy guidebooks. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, Essaouira — once known as Mogador — offers the perfect combination of culture, sea and authenticity.

The medina by the sea

Essaouira's medina is an exception in the Moroccan landscape: it was designed in the eighteenth century by French architect Théodore Cornut for Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah, blending a European urban grid with Arab-Andalusian aesthetics. The result is an orderly, airy and easily walkable medina — the opposite of the labyrinth of Fès. The main streets cross at right angles, and white houses with blue shutters alternate with craft workshops and art galleries.

The Skala de la Ville, the defensive rampart that looks out over the ocean, is the city's most dramatic spot. A row of Portuguese cannons still points toward the sea from a wind-battered terrace, and the setting sun turns the walls to gold. It was here that Ridley Scott shot several scenes for "Kingdom of Heaven", and the Game of Thrones production chose Essaouira as the location for Astapor, the city of the slavers.

The fishermen's harbour

Essaouira's harbour is a daily spectacle of life. Hundreds of blue boats rock on the water, fishermen mend their nets singing, gulls wheel above baskets of freshly unloaded sardines. Along the quay, small outdoor grills cook the freshest fish: sardines, prawns, squid and sea bass, served with bread, salad and chermoula sauce for just a few euros. It is the tastiest and cheapest lunch in Morocco.

Gnaoua: the music of the soul

Essaouira is the world capital of gnaoua music, a hypnotic genre that fuses sub-Saharan rhythms, Sufi chanting and spiritual trance. Every June, the Festival Gnaoua et Musiques du Monde draws musicians from across the planet and turns the city into an open-air stage for four days. But even outside the festival, cafés and riads resonate with the sounds of the guembri (a three-string bass) and the ritual chants that accompany the lila healing ceremonies.

Green gold: argan oil

Inland from Essaouira stretches the argan forest, a globally unique ecosystem protected by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. The women's cooperatives producing argan oil are one of the most instructive experiences in the region: Berber women demonstrate the traditional process of harvesting, cracking the shells and cold-pressing the seeds by hand, producing both cosmetic and culinary oil (the latter with a toasted hazelnut flavour). Buying directly from the cooperative guarantees a fair price and a fair income for the producers.

Sport and nature

The wind is Essaouira's defining feature — the trade winds blow constantly, especially from April to September, making the city a mecca for windsurfers and kitesurfers. The main beach stretches for kilometres southward, and surf schools offer lessons for all levels. Those who prefer calm can explore the nearby island of Mogador by bicycle (visitable only with a permit, to protect the colony of Eleonora's falcons) or walk among the dunes and the ruins of Borj el-Berod, the tower that inspired Jimi Hendrix — a regular visitor to Essaouira in the late 1960s.

Practical information

Getting there

Essaouira has a small airport (ESU) with seasonal direct flights from a few European cities (Ryanair from London, occasionally from Milan). The most common option is to fly to Marrakech and take the Supratours bus (3 hours, around €8) or a private transfer. The road passes through the argan forest — keep your eyes open for goats climbing the trees to eat the fruit.

When to go

March–June and September–October are the ideal months. Summer is windy and cool (20–25°C, perfect for surfing but not for sunbathing). Winter is mild but can bring rainy days.

Budget and tips

- Visa: not required for Italian citizens for stays up to 90 days.

- Budget: around €35 per day — riad with breakfast €15–30/night, fish lunch at the harbour €3–5.

- Crafts: Essaouira is renowned for marquetry in thuya wood (coffee tables, boxes, chess sets). Visit the workshops in the Skala de la Kasbah.

- Hammam: Lalla Mira is an excellent eco hammam-spa, with argan black soap and traditional gommage.

- Orson Welles: the director shot his "Othello" here in 1949 and loved the city so much that he wished to be buried in Spain, gazing toward Mogador.

Essaouira is proof that Morocco is not only desert and chaotic medinas. Here the wind carries the salt of the Atlantic, gnaoua music and the rare sensation of a place that makes no effort to impress — and for that very reason, impresses deeply.