Things to do in Essaouira

The Skala de la Ville — the sea bastion built by the Portuguese in the 18th century — is the city's defining image: a sequence of antique brass cannons pointing west over the Atlantic from a white rampart walk. Come in the afternoon, when the sun is over the Atlantic side of the rampart; the spray and the wind are constant. The Skala du Port, the older harbour fortification, looks south over the working fishing port where blue boats come and go and men gut fish on the dockside — one of the most photogenic harbour scenes in Morocco.

The medina itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site, built to a regular Portuguese grid plan that makes it unusually easy to navigate — a complete contrast to the famously bewildering organic tangle of Fes el-Bali. The main artery — Avenue de l'Istiqlal and its continuation Rue Mohammed el-Qory — runs straight through the medina and connects the main gate to the harbour. Thuja wood workshops, where craftsmen produce fine marquetry from the fragrant roots of the Thuya tree, line the lane behind the Skala de la Ville.

• Skala de la Ville — sea bastion with antique cannons; best at sunset.
• Skala du Port and fishing harbour — working port; fresh catch auctions at dawn.
• Medina ramparts walk — full circuit takes about 40 minutes.
• Thuja wood workshops — behind the Skala; unique fragrant marquetry craft.
• Musée Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah — 19th-century regional museum of music and crafts.
• Galerie Frederic Damgaard — important contemporary Essaouira art gallery.

Essaouira is consistently ranked among the world's top windsurfing destinations. The Alizé — a reliable north-east trade wind that blows at 20–35 knots through much of the year — creates consistent flat-water and side-shore conditions on the broad beach south of the medina (Plage d'Essaouira). The wind peaks from April to October, with June, July and August the most consistent months; outside these months the wind still blows but with greater variability.

Ocean Vagabond and Explora are two well-established water sports centres on the beach offering kit hire, lessons and storage. Kitesurfers and windsurfers share the beach with a reasonable amount of space; the shallower water near the Oued Ksob river mouth is recommended for learners. Body surfers and swimmers should note that the Atlantic here is powerful — rip currents near the river mouth are real — and the water temperature (17–20°C) demands a wetsuit year-round.

• Best wind months: June–September (20–35 knots Alizé trade wind).
• Windsurfing level: intermediate to advanced; consistent side-shore conditions.
• Kitesurfing: established and popular; local schools offer IKO-certified tuition.
• Surfing: bodyboarding and shortboard surfing work in autumn and winter swells.
• Camel and horse rides on the beach — offered by licensed operators south of the medina.

The harbour fish market — where the morning's catch is laid out on ice and grilled on the spot at open-air stalls — is one of the best food experiences in Morocco. Point to what you want, agree a price, and eat it grilled with bread and harissa at a plastic table on the dockside. Sardines, sea bass (loup de mer), sole and monkfish are typical; lobster and prawns appear in season. Budget around MAD 60–120 for a full grilled fish meal.

For a sit-down restaurant experience, Chez Sam — a wooden shack hanging literally over the harbour — is an Essaouira institution, despite (or because of) its charming shabbiness. Les Alizes Mogador in the medina and La Table by Madada for a more considered contemporary Moroccan seafood menu are well regarded. The Gnaoua café culture of the medina — strong coffee, fresh orange juice, Rifian bread — is an essential part of the morning rhythm.

The argan forest between Essaouira and Agadir is the world's only habitat for the Argania spinosa tree. Goats famously climb these gnarly trees to eat the fruit; the pits are collected by women's co-operatives to produce argan oil. The roadside is lined with co-ops where you can see the labour-intensive extraction process and buy certified products. A morning excursion south towards the co-ops of the Sous Valley combines well with a beach stop.

Sidi Kaouki — a windswept beach village 25 km south of Essaouira — is popular with surfers and travellers seeking even more solitude. The beach is wilder and less crowded than Essaouira's; a small number of guesthouses make it viable as an overnight stay. Diabat, 5 km south of Essaouira past a river ford, is a tiny village with the ruins of the Fortress of Mogador visible on a sand spit — the kind of deserted, wind-swept scene that puts the Atlantic in context.

The Gnaoua World Music Festival is Essaouira's signature annual event — typically held over four days in late June — and transforms the city into one of the world's most atmospheric music venues. Gnaoua is a centuries-old tradition of trance music and healing ritual brought to Morocco by sub-Saharan enslaved people; the festival pairs Gnaoua master musicians (mâalems) with international jazz, blues, reggae and world-music artists for free outdoor concerts in the medina squares and on the ramparts. Accommodation books out months in advance; if you plan to attend, reserve a full year ahead.