Things to do in Essaouira
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outdoor
One of Essaouira's best food experiences is the outdoor fish grills that line the port end of Pl Moulay Hassan. Just choose what you want to eat from the colourful displays of fresh fish and seafood outside each grill, agree on a price (expect to pay about Dh40 for lunch) and wait for it to be cooked on the spot.
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Spice Souq
For herbal Viagra, Berber lipstick, cures for baldness and exotic spices, the spice souq is the place to go. The jovial traders will try and draw you in with their more eccentric wares but the best buys are the aromatic spice blends for tajine, fish and chicken. You can also buy argan oil products here as well as the traditional amlou (about Dh40 per bottle). Nearby is the fish souq, an interesting place to wander even if you're not buying, and across Ave de l'Istiqlal, is the jewellery souq, a small area of jewellery shops with everything from heavy Berber beads to gaudy gold.
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Skala de la Ville
The dramatic, wave-lashed ramparts that surround the medina are a great place to get an overview of the labyrinth of streets. The ramparts were famously used in the opening scene of Orson Welles' Othello for a panoramic shot where Iago is suspended in a cage above the rocks and sea. The easiest place to access the ramparts is at Skala de la Ville, the impressive sea bastion built along the cliffs. A collection of European brass cannons from the 18th and 19th centuries line the walkway here and you'll also get great views out to sea and wonderful sunsets.
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Elizir
The best restaurant in town by far, this place was temporarily closed at the time of research, but will hopefully reopen soon. The Elizir serves a perfectly cooked mix of Moroccan and Mediterranean dishes with an innovative twist. The owner of this old house just off the main street is super-friendly, and loves to talk about where he found all the iconic 1950s and ’60s furniture he has collected from local junk markets. The decor is sublime, and if it were in London or New York, it would be voted the hippest place in town.
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Taros Café
One of the most atmospheric terraces in Essaouira, and the only real bar, is at the Taros Café, where you can sip your drinks under giant lamps and huddle round your table to fend off the wind whipping up from the sea. The restaurant (mains Dh70 to Dh120) is a bit hit-and-miss for food, but it has live music and belly dancing most nights.
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Skala du Port
Down by the harbour, the Skala du Port offers cannons and picturesque views over the fishing port and the Île de Mogador. Looking back at the walled medina from here, through a curtain of swirling seagulls, you’ll get the same evocative picture that is used on nearly all official literature.
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Pâtisserie Driss
For morning croissants or an afternoon pastry the best places to go are Pâtisserie Driss (which has a hidden seating area) and Café Faid, both near Pl Moulay Hassan.
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Café Restaurant Bab Laachour
To warm up for an evening out, you could try the terrace at the Café Restaurant Bab Laachour.
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Île de Mogador
Just off the coast to the southwest is the Île de Mogador, which has some interesting structures. It's actually two islands and several tiny islets - also known as the famed Îles Purpuraires (Purple Isles) of antiquity. The uninhabited islands are a sanctuary for Eleanora's falcons, which can also be easily seen through binoculars from Essaouira beach.
It is possible to arrange a private boat trip to the islands outside the breeding season, but you need to obtain a permit (free) from the port office; with that in hand, head for the small fishing boats to negotiate the trip out there. If you want to stay a few hours, fix a time for the boat to come and pick you up.
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Woodcarving Workshops
Essaouira is well known for its woodwork and you can visit the string of woodcarving workshops near the Skala de la Ville. The exquisite marquetry work on sale is made from local fragrant thuya wood, which is now an endangered species. Although the products are beautiful and sold at excellent prices, buying anything made from thuya threatens the last remaining stands of trees by increasing demand and therefore encouraging illegal logging. For a guilt-free conscience look for crafts made from other woods instead.
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Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah Museum
Essaouira’s beautifully refurbished museum in an old riad, has a small but interesting collection of jewellery, costumes, weapons, amazing musical instruments and carpets of the region. There’s a section explaining the signs and symbols used by local craftspeople and some interesting photographs of Essaouira at the turn of the century. Note also the Roman and Phoenician objects found in the bay.
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Ciel et Mer
There is also an organised boat trip, Ciel et Mer around the Île de Mogador islands, but bad sailing conditions can delay departures or leave you stranded at sea unable to escape relentless folk music. In summer there are four departures between 11.30am and 6.30pm. For the rest of the year, departures are at noon and 3.30pm. It also organises fishing trips.
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Essaouira In Depth
3 days (ex Marrakech/Essaouira)
by Intrepid
Wander through streets perfumed with spices and wood oil, Visit Marrakech and get lost in a riot of colour and sound, Explore Essaouira with an expert local gui…Not LP reviewed
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Restaurante Les Alizés
This popular place, run by a charming Moroccan couple in a 19th-century house, has delicious Moroccan dishes, particularly the couscous with fish and the tajine of boulettes de sardines (sardine balls). You’ll get a very friendly welcome. Book well ahead as it fills up every night, both with Moroccans and visitors. It’s above Pension Smar.
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Maison du Chameau
For camel riding, the best place to go is the Maison du Chameau, a remote guest house that is home to eight meharis (white Sudanese racing camels). The guest house offers weeklong camel-riding courses, shorter excursions and a selection of peaceful rooms decked out in vibrant fuchsia-pink and electric-blue.
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Galeries Frederic Damgaard
Essaouira has a reputation as an artists hub, and several galleries around town sell works by local painters. It’s a mixed bag of talent and you may need to look in all of them before finding something you like. Galeries Frederic Damgaard is the best and oldest in town and features the work of local artists.
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Le Patio
For something more sultry, the hip bar and restaurant Le Patio is a candlelit den with blood-red furnishings and a black mirror ball. You’ll need to buy some tapas (Dh35) to just sit and drink or you might even be tempted by the whiff of grilled fish coming from the canopied restaurant (mains Dh85 to Dh150).
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Abouda Safar
To try something more serious than the horse and camel rides on the beach, several companies offer cross-country trekking and multi-day rides in the countryside around Essaouira. Abouda Safar offers an eight-day trek around the region or half-day/full-day local treks (Dh350/450).
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Restaurant Ferdaous
A delightful Moroccan restaurant, and one of the few places in town that serves real, home-cooked, traditional Moroccan food. The seasonal menu offers an innovative take on traditional recipes, the service is very friendly and the low tables and padded seating make it feel like the real McCoy.
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Restaurant El-Minzah
Sit on the outside terrace or in the elegant dining room inside at this popular place facing the ramparts. The menu features a good selection of international dishes with specialities such as blue shark and Berber tajine with argan oil, and there’s lively Gnawa music here on Saturday nights.
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Riad Al-Baraka
Set in a former Jewish school, this hip place has several dining rooms and a bar set around a large courtyard shaded by a huge fig tree. The food is mainly Moroccan with some Middle Eastern and Jewish influences, the decor cool, and there’s live music by local bands at weekends.
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Restaurante Les Chandeliers
This popular place opposite the museum has an atmospheric setting in an historic town house with candle-lit tables and an interesting menu of French and Moroccan fare. You can get anything here from a fine magret du canard (duck breast) to cheap and cheerful pizza.
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Côté Plage
Part of the looming Sofitel, this beachfront café has a nice and elegant decked area where you can sit beneath the shade of giant white umbrellas. You can nibble on tapas (Dh35) as you look out over the ocean for the afternoon or arrive on Sunday for the all-day barbecue.
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Café d’Horloge
This popular café is an excellent choice for a breakfast of amlou (a spread made of local argan oil, almond and honey) and crepes or bread (Dh25). It’s away from the hoards of people on the main café drag and a good choice for a quiet coffee or snack.
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Ocean Vagabond
Although a good walk from town, this simple little café is the best of the beachfront offerings. It serves a decent but limited range of sandwiches, pizza, pasta and salads and has plenty of comfy seats in the sand from where the kids can run free.
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