Essaouira

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Essaouira port in Morocco. Shot  after sunset at blue hour.; Shutterstock ID 469077956; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Essaouira BiT

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Overview

It is the coastal wind – the beautifully named alizee, or taros in Berber – that has allowed Essaouira (essa-weera, or es-sweera in Arabic) to retain its traditional culture and character. For most of the year, the wind blows so hard here that relaxing on the beach is impossible, meaning that the town is bypassed by the hordes of beach tourists who descend on other Atlantic Coast destinations in summer. Known as the ‘Wind City of Africa’, it attracts plenty of windsurfers between April and November, but the majority of visitors come here in spring and autumn to wander through the spice-scented lanes and palm-lined avenues of the fortified medina, browse the many art galleries and boutiques, relax in some of the country's best hotels and watch fishing nets being mended and traditional boats being constructed in the hugely atmospheric port.


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Spending Diaries

How one writer combined free activities with luxury meals and a spa day in this coastal Moroccan city.

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Latest stories from Essaouira

Horses on the beach in Morocco, with the town of Essaouira in the background. Adventure travel., License Type: media, Download Time: 2025-01-16T17:40:47.000Z, User: clairenaylor, Editorial: false, purchase_order: 65050 - Digital Destinations and Articles, job: Online editorial, client: Essaouira and Atlantic coast, other: Claire Naylor

Destination Practicalities

A first-time guide to Essaouira and the Atlantic coast, Morocco

Jan 30, 2025 • 7 min read

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