Essaouira: The Wind City Where Morocco Meets the Atlantic

Essaouira is an Atlantic port city built by the Portuguese in the 15th century and refortified by the French in the 18th. Its former name — Mogador — evokes the sound of wind, which blows here almost all year round, carrying the Atlantic trade winds deep into the medina's alleys. It is the reason kitesurfers love it and bathers avoid it — and also why it has remained authentic.

The medina and the port

The medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: a regular grid of streets — an anomaly in Morocco, where medinas are labyrinths — sheltered by ramparts overlooking the ocean. The Skala de la Ville, the cannon terrace, is the panoramic viewpoint where Orson Welles filmed «Othello». The port is an organised chaos of blue boats, seagulls, fishermen mending nets and stalls grilling the day's catch — sardines, squid, prawns — for just a few dirhams.

Gnawa music

Essaouira is the capital of gnawa music — a tradition that blends sub-Saharan rhythms, Sufi chants and trance rituals. The Festival Gnaoua (June) is one of Africa's most important music events. But the music can be heard year-round in the medina's cafés — djembe, guembri (a three-stringed lute) and voices singing in an Arabic that sounds like the blues.

Argan oil and the surroundings

Essaouira sits at the centre of the argan region — Morocco's endemic tree whose oil is used in cooking and cosmetics. Women's cooperatives in the surrounding villages demonstrate the traditional process: goats climb the trees to eat the fruit (yes, it's true), and the women crack the shells by hand to extract the kernels.

Practical information

From Marrakech: Supratours bus (2.5 hours) or taxi. Essaouira's airport has seasonal flights from some European cities. Riads in the historic centre start from 30 euros a night. Best time: April–June and September–October (moderate wind). July–August is perfect for kitesurfing but too windy for everything else. The grilled fish at the port is the essential lunch.