Essaouira: Full Day

Essaouira: Full Day

Get an early start for Essaouira, home of Gnawa music and a former hotspot for hippies. On the way, support one of the women’s argan oil co-operatives. Argan trees grow only in southwestern Morocco, and their nutty oil stars in both cosmetic and culinary uses.

After the hustle and bustle of Marrakech, it’s easy to unwind in Essaouira. Originally named Mogador, it was established as a trading port and military strongpoint by the Portuguese. Its medina, another UNESCO World Heritage site, is a relaxing center of white-washed walls and small shops, many of them featuring objects carved in local thuya wood.

Venture toward the port, where you’ll find food stalls with a wide variety of the freshest seafood imaginable, prepared simply but deliciously on outdoor grills.

Essaouira’s coastline tends to be windy and so a great place for wind- and kite-surfing. Choose to relax on the beach, or for the more adventurous, consider a camel or horse ride, or even rent a quad, to explore the coastline.

Walk along the sqalas, or fortified sections of the port, for a picturesque view of the medina and ramparts.