Essaouira Day Trip from Agadir

Essaouira and its UNESCO-listed medina

Essaouira is a walled seaside town on Morocco's Atlantic coast, known in the past as Mogador. Its medina is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its well-preserved eighteenth-century layout, planned with straight streets and fortified walls, which is unusual among Moroccan old towns. It is the main reason people book an Essaouira day trip from Agadir: a relaxed, whitewashed town with blue doors and shutters, quieter than Marrakech.

Inside the medina you walk along narrow lanes lined with craft workshops, art galleries, thuya wood carvers, spice stalls and cafes. Many visitors ask whether Essaouira is worth a day trip from Agadir, and the answer is yes if you like atmosphere, photography and the sea. Your driver is not a guide, so you explore by yourself, and a map on your phone helps.

The ramparts, the Skala and the fishing port

The sea walls of Essaouira, known as the Skala de la Ville, carry rows of old cannons that face the Atlantic, and the viewpoint at the top gives sweeping views of the town, the islands offshore and the crashing waves. The Portuguese built a fortress here in the sixteenth century, and the later town was planned in the eighteenth century as a trading port. It remains a good place for photographs at any hour.

Down at the harbour, bright blue fishing boats crowd the quay, gulls circle above the nets and men sort the catch of the day. It is one of the most photographed scenes in Morocco. Opening times and entrance conditions for the fortifications can change, so ask on the day. Wear shoes with grip for the stone steps, and keep a jacket for the wind that blows most afternoons.

The argan oil factory stop

On the way to Essaouira, the trip stops at an argan oil factory, where you see how the nuts of the argan tree are cracked, ground and pressed into oil. Argan grows only in south-western Morocco, and the tree is protected, with the whole region recognised by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve. The oil is used in cooking and in skin and hair care, and the work of making it by hand is traditionally done by women.

The visit is short and informative, and you can look at the products on sale, such as argan oil, amlou and cosmetics, with no obligation to buy. If you are lucky, you may see goats standing in the branches of argan trees along the road, a famous local sight. The stop usually takes less than an hour and breaks up the drive nicely.

The drive and planning your day

Essaouira lies about three hours' drive north of Agadir along the Atlantic road. The air-conditioned vehicle collects you at your hotel early in the morning, drives through argan groves and small villages and returns you in the evening. A long day, but the driver handles the road, leaving you free to look out of the window. The driver speaks French and English, and meals and drinks are not included.

Plan your time in Essaouira: walk the medina, climb the ramparts, visit the harbour and have lunch at a cafe or a fish grill by the port, paying for yourself. Late morning and early afternoon are the best hours before the afternoon wind. The best time to visit Essaouira is spring or autumn, while summer is cooler here than inland. Agree on a meeting time with the driver before you leave the vehicle.