Destination · Essaouira
Essaouira
A former fortified trading port facing the Atlantic, Essaouira charms visitors with its wind-swept ramparts and laid-back artistic atmosphere.
City identity
Essaouira at a glance
Heritage
The must-see sites of Essaouira
Live
Live Essaouira
Guides
Prepare your stay in Essaouira
Essaouira: The Corsair City Turned Artist's Muse
Essaouira: the complete guide to the city of the trade winds
What to visit in Essaouira? 15 must-see places and experiences
Sqala du Port in Essaouira: access, opening hours, prices and e-ticket
What to eat in Essaouira? Port fish, local food and culinary experiences
Where to stay
Where to stay in Essaouira
Our selection of hotels and places to stay in Essaouira, presented by area using the information provided by each property.
Boutique hotel
Heure Bleue Palais – Relais & Châteaux
Relais & Châteaux palace with a rooftop pool
Discover the hotel →Photo: Heure Bleue Palais – Relais & Châteaux
Riad Mimouna
Riad facing the ocean, with a large sea-view terrace
Discover the hotel →Photo: Riad Mimouna
Boutique hotel
Madada Mogador
Hotel above the old port, with cooking classes
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Practical information
Road distances (fastest driving route, based on OpenStreetMap): motorway where there is one, otherwise national road. Journey times are indicative, where known.
| From | Distance | Road | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| RabatCapital | 449 km | motorway | — |
| Casablanca | 361 km | motorway | — |
| Marrakech | 186 km | national road | 2h30 |
| Fez | 656 km | motorway | — |
| Agadir | 175 km | national road | — |
| Tangier | 697 km | motorway | — |
| Safi and El JadidaNearest city | 122 km | national road | — |
Useful services in Essaouira
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Emergency numbers in Morocco
Continue your journey
Marrakech
The Red City, where a thousand-year-old medina meets royal palaces and legendary gardens — Morocco's cultural heart.
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Tangier
Gateway to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, Tangier has inspired writers and artists worldwide with its cosmopolitan atmosphere.
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Chefchaouen
Nestled in the Rif Mountains, the "Blue City" charms visitors with its indigo-washed alleyways and peaceful mountain atmosphere.
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Salé
On the right bank of the Bouregreg River, facing Rabat, Salé preserves a fortified medina rich in medersas and corsair history.
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Tetouan
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tetouan's medina blends Andalusian influences with craftsmanship passed down through generations.
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Larache
An Atlantic port with Spanish-Moorish architecture, Larache guards at its gates the ancient ruins of Lixus, one of Morocco's oldest cities.
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Beni Mellal
At the foot of the Middle Atlas, Beni Mellal is a lush stopover known for its springs and its historic kasbah overlooking the Tadla plain.
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Meknes
A former imperial capital, Meknes opens onto the Saïss plain and onto Volubilis, a Roman city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Fez
The oldest of Morocco's imperial cities, Fès is home to the largest and best-preserved medieval medina in the Arab world, centered on the thousand-year-old University of Al Quaraouiyine.
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Rabat
Morocco's capital and a UNESCO-listed historic city, Rabat blends an Almohad kasbah, an ancient royal necropolis, and 20th-century architecture facing the Atlantic Ocean.
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Ouarzazate
Gateway to the desert and Morocco's film capital, Ouarzazate opens onto earthen kasbahs, oases and the legendary UNESCO-listed Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou.
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Casablanca
Morocco's economic capital and largest city, Casablanca surprises visitors with its blend of colonial Art Deco architecture and modernity, dominated by the imposing Hassan II Mosque facing the Atlantic Ocean.
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Agadir
An Atlantic seaside resort rebuilt after the 1960 earthquake, Agadir is the starting point for Tiznit, Tafraout and Sidi Ifni: medinas, the Anti-Atlas and the wild coast of southern Morocco.
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Safi and El Jadida
Two cities on the Atlantic coast: Safi, a city with a pottery tradition, and El Jadida, whose Portuguese city of Mazagan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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