A long weekend in Essaouira, Morocco
Sea breezes, super souks, sand, the smell of fresh-grilled fish – there are so many reasons to pick Essaouira for your next long weekend.
Essaouira (‘essa-weera’), a port on the Atlantic coast between Agadir and Casablanca, 160km west of Marrakech, is Morocco at its most relaxed. It’s long been a cultural mix of Arabs, Berbers, Jews, Africans and Europeans, and it’s attracting ever-increasing numbers of visitors.
People are drawn by Essaouira’s 18th-century UNESCO-listed, rampart-encircled medina; by its whitewashed, blue-shuttered houses; by its thuya wood workshops and art galleries; by its postcard-pretty harbour and enormous swathes of golden sand. Also, the omnipresent gusts of wind, known locally as the alizee, create the perfect waves for windsurfing and kitesurfing.
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Jump to: Three-day itinerary
Day two: Feel foodie
Take a Moroccan cooking workshop with Chef Mouna atl’Atelier Madada. Learn to rustle up some classic Moroccan dishes from what’s available in the market that morning; perhaps zaalouk, a smoked aubergine dip, and lamb or chicken tagine. Or take the Oriental pastry workshop to learn the difference between local sweet treats such as msemen and baghrir.
Morocco has a long history of wine-making so continue the foodie theme at diminutive Les Domaines du Val d’Argan, 20km from Essaouira. It is the only vineyard in the south and produces around 120,000 bottles a year. After a walk through the fields, eat at the restaurant, which has wonderful views over the countryside. The vineyard also sells organic olive oil and argan, the Moroccan super-oil.
Alternatively, head back to the beach to have a go at windsurfing and kitesurfing (April-October) or, in the winter months, surfing. Explora offers lessons for all levels or you can hire the gear. Lesson times depend on the winds.
Day three: Ride, bike, and roam
Take a taxi to Diabat, a sleepy village just south of Essaouira (though some big resorts are being built). Here, Equi Evasion runs horse and camel trips, from one-hour rides along the beach – home to the ruined Borj El-Berod watchtower – to week-long treks. Legend has it that Jimi Hendrix holed up here with some hippies for a few weeks in 1969 – Café Hendrix has newspaper cuttings that swear to it.
If you feel the need for more action, you can quadbike along the great swathes of beach around Essaouira, go dune jumping and explore local villages. Explora offers quadbiking; there are full-day excursions, stopping off for a picnic lunch, for more experienced quadbikers. You can also rent a bike and cycle south to the laidback beach town of Sidi Kaouki, popular with hardcore surfers.
If you’d rather stretch your legs, take a guided walk from Essaouira. Ecotourisme et Randonnées offers half- and full-day hikes; these follow narrow trails through villages and argan-nut farms or fishing communities, dunes and deserted beaches, teaching about local life, flora and fauna en route.
