Rabat – Essaouira has long mastered the art of the slow escape. With its Atlantic breeze, whitewashed medina, and layered mix of history, art, and music, the coastal city offers a weekend rhythm unlike anywhere else in Morocco.
It is a place where mornings start with sea views and end with sunset over ramparts shaped by centuries of trade and culture.
Here are a few stops worth making if you happen to be in Essaouira.
Fresh seafood at the port
Walk down to the fishing port, buy directly from the fishmongers and hand your catch to one of the grill stalls to cook on the spot.
Fresh seafood is the most Essaouira thing you can do with an afternoon and it costs a fraction of what the same fish would run at a sit-down restaurant.
Make sure to go before noon, when the boats are still unloading.
Sidi Kaouki
Twenty-five minutes south by a grand taxi or bus lies the village of Sidi Kaouki.
It is a small surf village with a marabout shrine that gets cut off by the tide and waves better suited to actual surfing than the city beach.
While in Sidi Kaouki, make sure to try horse riding and fishing with one of the local guides after your surf session.
Taros Cafe
Taros sits on an 18th-century building overlooking Place Moulay Hassan with two rooftop terraces facing the ramparts, the port, and the Atlantic Ocean.
It features three venues in one: the rooftop restaurant, “Le Club” which is a cocktail bar located downstairs, and a café.
The food leans into more of a Moroccan-Mediterranean fusion rather than traditional only.
People come to Taros more for the beautiful view and the atmosphere rather than for a tagine.
Live music runs Thursday through Sunday so make sure to get your reservations early to get a nice table for the sunset. In the evening, when the wind picks up, they hand out coats!
Thuya wood workshops
Essaouira is the center of Morocco’s thuya wood carving tradition and the workshops near the ports let you watch carvers work the burl wood directly rather than just buying the finished products.
It is worth knowing what you are looking at: Morocco holds roughly 80% of the world’s thuya reserve and Essaouira is practically the only place this craft exists at a scale.
It is definitely worth it to spend an afternoon observing the carpenters’ meticulous work and
perhaps even buy a souvenir piece afterwards.
Coin Typique
Coin Typique sits on a narrow alley near the port and ramparts. Run as a one-man kitchen by an owner named Zakaria with his wife doing the cooking.
It is a small, home style, Moroccan spot that serves all the staples including zaalouk, pastilla, and tagines.
Make sure to preorder your tagines since everything is freshly made in Coin Typique.
A weekend in Essaouira is enough to boost your energy and get you ready for the next few weeks!
