Is Essaouira Safe? The Essential Guide To Morocco’s Coastal City
Read on for travel advice and things to do in Essaouira!
Situated just a few hours away from Marrakesh next to the Atlantic coast, Essaouira is arguably Morocco’s most beautiful city, but knowing if it is safe to visit or not is a concern that a lot of tourists have.
I visited Essaouira on a weekend trip from Marrakesh and it is certainly one of the country’s most magical, mystical and spiritual places, full of charm and fascinating medieval history.
So I’ve written this blog post that covers everything you need to know about this unique port city, answering safety concerns, how to get there and top things to do in what is known as Morocco’s ‘hippy city’.
Plan Your Trip With My Recommended Resources:
🚆Bus or Train: Bookaway is a great resource for tickets
🏨 Accommodation: I always use Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Discover Cars has the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Kiwi.com has the best prices on flights
📱eSIM: Airalo has a fantastic range of eSIMs
Is Essaouira Safe For Tourists?
Yes, Essaouira is absolutely safe for tourists and is considered to be one of the safest cities in Morocco.
I had no issues whatsoever in terms of safety during my visit to Essaouira. To be honest, it felt a lot safer than Marrakesh and other Moroccan cities I have visited, including Fes and Tangier.
Of course, petty crime does occur in Essaouira just as it does everywhere else, so make sure you keep your wits about you while visiting as it’s always a good idea to stay extra precautious.
Is Essaouira Worth Visiting?
Yes, Essaouira is most definitely worth visiting! I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I decided to visit the city on a weekend break from Marrakesh, but absolutely fell in love with its charm and stunning beauty.
Essaouira is such a stark contrast to Marrakesh in terms of its pace of life. While Marrakesh is crowded and somewhat overwhelming, Essaouira is a lot more peaceful, quieter and relaxed.
Indeed, it is known as Morocco’s ‘hippy city’, and its laid back vibe and energy has attracted hippies and creatives from all across the world since the 1970’s.
So if you’re looking for a change of pace from Marrakesh’s hectic energy then Essaouira is the perfect destination. And it’s easily reachable, just a 2-3 hour journey from Marrakesh by either bus or car.
Top Things To Do In Essaouira
There are perhaps surprisingly a lot of things to do and places that you must visit when visiting Essaouira. So here are the top things to do in the beautiful city of Essaouira:
See Essaouira’s famous blue boats
Probably Essaouira’s most famous tourist attraction are the numerous blue wooden boats that can be found in the main harbour area of the city.
These countless boats are painted bright blue to represent the city’s fishing heritage and to remind fishermen and locals of the city’s rich maritime history (as well as the fact that sardines are supposedly attracted to the colour).
Seeing the striking blue boats in the harbour is an extraordinary sight and a total dream for any budding photographers visiting the city.
Enjoy the busy fishing port of Essaouira
Just a short walk past the blue boats you’ll find another fascinating part of Essaouira that is worth checking out – the city’s fishing port.
This is a busy place with plenty of fishing boats, vessels, trawlers, fishermen and fish sellers all busy at work.
It is quite a fascinating experience to watch everyone here going about their daily tasks and is another photographer’s dream with so much activity taking place in one area.
Discover the Medina of Essaouira
Pretty much every major city in Morocco has an old historical city centre known as a ‘medina’ where you can find interesting shops selling all kinds of traditional Moroccan items and Essaouira is no different.
The medina quarter of Essaouira is found within the medieval walls of the town and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Strolling through the streets and alleyways of the medina and perusing the various stalls is a lovely experience and one of the best activities you can do in Essaouira.
You’ll find countless shops selling decorative items, including ceramic items and especially wooden items which are made out of artisanal thuja wood, which Essaouira is well known for.
You’ll also find plenty of cafes and restaurants in this area, most of which overlook the atlantic ocean, so you can chill out over a coffee and some food.
Appreciate Essaouira’s historic City Walls
Essaouria’s historic city walls that surround the medina are one of the most fascinating aspects of the place.
You can walk along the various artillery platforms (such as ‘the Sqala of the Kasbah‘) that were used to protect the fortified city from attacks by enemies at sea during the medieval period.
Here you’ll find several bronze cannons facing the ocean as well as ramparts, and the views are absolutely spectacular.
👉 Pro tip: the best time to enjoy the magnificent ocean views from the city walls is during sunset, so make sure you time your visit well!
Take a stroll on Essaouira beach
Essaouira’s coastline has some absolutely stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, and its main beach (known simply as: ‘Essaouira beach’) is a popular attraction for locals and tourists alike.
The main beach stretches for 2 kilometres and is an ideal place to take in the fresh sea air and enjoy a stroll along the promenade.
This is a large beach and you’ll see plenty of families playing sports as well as horse and camel riding.
If you’re feeling sporty then it’s possible to enjoy some of these sport activities. Here are 3 popular activities you can undertake on Essaouira beach with local sports companies:
- Kite surfing – this is a popular past time on Essaouira beach, and you can learn the skills with the help of a local company: Kite Surf Maroc.
- Horse riding – it’s possible to go horse riding on Essaouira beach and other local areas from 1 hour to up to a full day, with Cheval Essaouira.
- Windsurfing – it’s also possible to take windsurfing lessons with a local watersports company: Explora Watersports.
See some local art
If you fancy being inspired by local Moroccan art then there are a couple of excellent galleries which are worth visiting while in Essaouira.
Gallery Kasbah is situated in a beautifully restored 18th century riad and has the most prestigious art exhibition in Essaouira, featuring ceramic art, paintings and more. It is open every day from 9am until 9pm.
And at Le Real Mogador – Centre d’art/ Résidence d’artistes, you can see an excellent collection of ‘outsider art’, created by artists local to Essaouira that you won’t find anywhere else.
Visit Essaouira’s museum – Musée Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah
Located within Essaouira’s medina you can also visit a local museum – Musée Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah.
This small museum is housed within a gorgeous former French colonial hall and features a unique collection of everything from musical instruments, jewellery and other various artefacts.
Enjoy some top quality seafood
And finally, it should come as no surprise that Essaouira has some absolutely fantastic seafood restaurants, especially with its rich fishing community and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.
You can find several very good restaurants in and around the medina area. I enjoyed a plate of sardines during my visit which was outstanding and is honestly one of my favourite food experiences I’ve had during my travels.
How To Get To Essaouira
There are a few options when it comes to travelling to Essaouira, so let’s take a look at the best ways to reach this port city:
By Bus 🚌
If you do decide to visit Essaouira from within Morocco then your leaving point will most likely be Marrakesh. And if you’re reliant on public transport then your only choice is to catch a bus, as there is no train line between the two cities.
The bus journey takes about 3 hours and costs roughly 90 Moroccan Dirhams (less than 10 euros!). I reached Essaouira via bus from Marrakesh and found it to be an easy, cheap and comfortable ride with no issues whatsoever.
By Car 🚗
You can also drive to Essaouira and hire a car, but this is a more expensive travel option.
Essaouira is exactly 175 kilometres from Marrakesh, so a drive there should take you between two and a half to three hours. It’s a pleasant car journey too with plenty of beautiful Moroccan landscapes to admire along the way.
By Taxi 🚕
If you do decide to take a taxi from Marrakesh, then expect to pay around 100 Euros, depending on how many people you are travelling with.
I would only recommend this option if you’re desperate, as the bus to Essaouira is a lot cheaper.
By Plane ✈️
If you want to fly direct to Essaouira then this is also an option as the city has its own airport – Essaouira-Mogador Airport, which is just 14 kilometres from the centre of the city.
There are over a hundred direct flights from London airports (and several European airports) to Essaouira each week. Popular airlines such as Ryanair, Easyjet and more offer cheap flights, especially during the off peak seasons.
Map of Essaouira
Here is an interactive map of Essaouira with pins of all the locations mentioned in this blog post to help you plan your trip to this beautiful port city:
Is Essaouira Safe FAQs
If you still have more questions about visiting Essaouira, then let me answer some of them here:
How many days should you spend in Essaouira?
Although you can certainly visit Essaouira on a day trip from Marrakesh, I recommend spending 2 days to fully immerse yourself in this fascinating city.
2 days will give you enough time to explore all of the different parts of the city at your own pace, rather than being rushed on a day trip with a limited amount of time.
I spent a weekend in Essaouira and felt that it was the perfect mini break from the madness that is Marrakesh. Of course you may wish to spend longer than 2 days, especially if you’re not in a hurry to visit other parts of Morocco.
When is the best time to visit Essaouira?
Spring and autumn months are considered the best times to visit Essaouira, as temperatures won’t be so high as they are during summer, and accommodation prices will be cheaper.
Winter time is also another possible option, but expect cooler temperatures. I visited Essaouira during the summer and experienced hot temperatures.
But Essaouira is known as the windy city as it is right next to the ocean, so I enjoyed a cool breeze at times.
Is Essaouira Morocco’s most beautiful city?
This is very much a subjective question, but having visited several Moroccan cities, I do think that Essaouira is one of the country’s most beautiful cities for sure.
There are other very beautiful places in Morocco, such as the lovely beach city of Agadir which has some fantastic hotels and the blue city of Chefchaouen. Apart from that, Essaouira is prettier than Marrakesh, Fes and Tangier in my opinion.
👉 For more info on visiting Agadir, check out my blog posts: Unmissable Things To Do On A Day Trip To Agadir From Marrakech
Is Agadir Safe For Families? An Honest Review Of Morocco’s Beach Town
What films/TV series were filmed in Essaouira?
As you start to enjoy the many beautiful sights of Essaouira you may begin to recognise some of its iconic locations from different TV shows and movies.
Because it is such a stunning location right next to the ocean, it has featured in several well known productions, including Game of Thrones, John Wick 3, Kingdom of Heaven and even older movies such as Orson Welles’ ‘Othello‘.
Conclusion: Is Essaouira Safe?
So that concludes everything you need to know about Essaouira, one of Morocco’s most unique and beautiful cities that you can visit.
There’s no denying that there is something distinctively special about Essaouira. From its laid back atmosphere, traditional blue boats and medieval walls, it is a truly charming place that is a perfect getaway from hectic Marrakesh.
Now that you’re informed about this lovely port city and know that it is indeed safe to visit, I hope you’ll plan to discover the magic of Essaouira when you’re next planning a trip to Morocco.
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➡️ Planning your trip? Here are my favourite resources:
🏨 Accommodation: I recommend using Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Use Discover Cars for the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Use Kiwi.com for the best prices on flights
