You want to visit Essaouira and spend as little as possible?
Then follow this Top 15 of free visits, museums and activities to do in Essaouira that we have created for you to enjoy without breaking the bank.
Table des matières
The Medina
If you had to see only one thing during your stay in Essaouira, it would be the medina! Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the oldest part of the city
We particularly liked its inner streets lined with whitewashed houses and colored doors… with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop, it’s simply beautiful!
At the bend of an alley, you will come across a lively souk where merchants sell local handicrafts
There, you don’t have to worry about getting lost: Essaouira’s medina is not as labyrinthine as Marrakech’s, so a walk there is more inspiring than confusing.
Website: https: //whc.unesco.org/fr/list/753
The ramparts
Surrounding the medina of Essaouira with their high walls, we now invite you to walk along the ramparts of the old city
For the record, they were built in the 18th century initially to protect the port from looters.
By entering the medina through one of the many gates of the ramparts (including Bab Doukkala, the main one, and Bab Sbaa towards the port and the beach), you can walk for free along these imposing pieces of historical architecture that give the city a real cachet
If you want to take a walk along the ramparts and enjoy a breathtaking view of the ocean and the old medina, you will be asked to pay a modest fee of 16 dirhams (about 1.5 euros). The view below is also very beautiful!
Website: https: //visiteessaouira.com/portes-essaouira/
The beach
Right next to the ramparts, a long golden sandy beach of about 2.5 kilometers invites you to take full advantage of the access to the Atlantic Ocean of Essaouira!
Of course, there are surfing and kitesurfing schools on the beachfront that will offer you to rent their equipment for the afternoon, and also horse or camel owners who will invite you to ride their horses for a while.
But if you’re really looking for a no-cost activity to do in Essaouira, we simply recommend taking a dip in the water (being careful of the waves) and also stretching your legs on the sand: on a beautiful sunny day, you can walk for miles and enjoy the fresh sea air!
A tip: bring sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun’s glare on the water, a hat on your head and a bottle of water to stay hydrated.
Website: https: //www.guidedumaroc.fr/cote-atlantique/essaouira/plages-essaouria/
The Souk
Essaouira’s traditional souk is a real treat for all the senses as it offers those who visit amazing sights and smells!
Selling traditional clothing, tapestries, pottery and even food, the merchants in the souk of Essaouira’s medina have no shortage of souvenirs to offer you
You don’t have to buy anything, but wandering around the souk will give you a real traditional Moroccan experience, you’ll see! We recommend it for its authenticity and also because it is on a human scale.
Website : https://www.visiteessaouira.com/souks-essaouira/
The Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah museum
It is always interesting to learn about the local culture and history when visiting a country
To do so, we thought of the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah museum: named after the founder of the present-day Essaouira, this magnificently renovated museum tells the story of the city and of Berber culture through numerous objects (pottery, jewelry, carpets, weapons, costumes, etc.) exhibited in a 19th-century mansion
We loved these pieces of Essaouira’s history which have retained much of their original features as well as the sumptuous architecture of the building in which they are housed.
We prefer to warn you that a visit to the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah museum is not totally free: indeed, the entrance fee is 10 dirhams (1 euro only!)… Isn’t it still worth investing a little to see all the treasures they contain?
Website : https://visiteessaouira.com/2020/05/22/musee-sidi-mohammed-ben-abdellah-bio/
The fishing port
The fishing port of Essaouira has almost a little air of Portugal… and it is normal! For information, the city was once a Portuguese colony and was called Mogador; its trade was mainly centered around maritime activities, hence the importance of fishing even today
A multitude of small bright blue boats form an almost uninterrupted wave along the harbor, and seagulls rest on the ramparts not far from the Castelo Real, an old Portuguese fortress from the 16th century: it’s a really picturesque image to go and see, we assure you!
The fish market is quite difficult to find, but when you are in the medina, head to the Laghzal souk which is just off the main street when you walk from the Bab Doukala gate
We recommend you go there because it offers fish and seafood specialties that are cheaper than at the port and just as delicious!
Website: https: //www.essaouira.nu/essaouira_port.htm
The Simon Attias Synagogue
The medina of Essaouira is not very big, but it includes several neighborhoods, including the Mellah, the Jewish quarter of the city, which is home to the next place we recommend you visit: the Simon Attias synagogue.
Entering the medina through the Bab Doukkala gate, you will find this place of worship, which is now more frequented by tourists than used for worship, not far from the fish market mentioned above
However, the synagogue is guarded by guards who will gladly let you in: very friendly, they will even walk with you, answer your questions and tell you the history of the Jewish quarter and of this synagogue… and all this for free!
Inside the building, you will discover a beautiful environment where serenity and respect reign and a fascinating testimony of Morocco’s past.
Website: https: //fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synagogue_Simon_Attias
The Maalem Ali Jewelry Center
A 5-minute walk from the beach in Essaouira, the Maalem Ali Jewelry Center opens its doors to visitors who want to learn more about the traditional techniques of making jewelry typically Moroccan.
We particularly liked the fact that the workshop is located in the store: the curious can observe (without necessarily buying) how the various materials are worked while learning from local artisans about their expertise.
Website: https: //centre-de-la-bijouterie-artisanale-maalem-ali.business.site/
Damgaard Art Gallery
A little further east of the Maalem Ali Jewelry Center, we suggest you cross the threshold of the Damgaard Art Gallery
Located on Avenue Oqba Ibn Naffia and housed in a building with a white facade and a recognizable blue sign, you can admire the work of young local artists without paying the entrance fee
From colorful mosaics to paintings, carpets, furniture and other sculptures, you will find at Damgaard gallery art objects for all tastes!
Website: http: //www.galeriedamgaard.com/
Dar Souiri Cultural Center
Dar Souiri is the house of culture in Essaouira! Just a stone’s throw from Moulay el Hassan Square, the main rallying point of the city, we urge you to enter this former 19th century riad if only to admire its sumptuous traditional architecture.
You can see beautiful photographs of Moroccan culture in bright colors, attend conferences on subjects that interest you, consult the library books … and all this without paying a dirham!
They also talk about comics, cinema, and organize concerts. The variety of the cultural offer that Dar Souiri presents to you is really beautiful and admirable!
Website: https: //www.madein.city/essaouira/fr/places/centre-culturel-dar-souiri-20791/
Visit an argan oil cooperative
There are many places in Essaouira where you can find argan oil and argan products
If you are curious about how this product is made, we highly recommend a visit to an argan oil cooperative, as this is where you can witness the making of these products that are so important to Morocco.
The cooperatives that do not only sell the finished products are often located on the outskirts of the city because they need space to grow the argan trees from which they get the precious oil
Often, it is women who group together to work there. In Marjana and Kaouki, you will be able to see them pressing the oil from the tree’s fruits with hand tools and completing the elaborate process of creating argan cream
Watching this process in Essaouira is completely free, and it’s worth it to see how this typically Moroccan product is made!
Address: KM14 Route de Marrakech, Essaouira 44000, Morocco (Marjana); Douar Ait Yassine, Essaouira, Morocco (Kaouki)
Website: http: //coopmarjana.ma/ (Marjana); http://www.cooperativekaouki.com/ (Kaouki)
Seeing goats on argan trees
Argan trees are useful to the locals: the fruits of the tree contain seeds from which argan oil is extracted. But it is not only the men who use it!
After visiting a cooperative that manufactures the precious oil, we strongly encourage you to walk along the argan trees so as not to miss the spectacle of goats climbing the trees… Yes, it exists!
Food is so scarce that they have learned to dig in the argan trees to find their fruits. Attending this incredible scene is of course totally free and gives rise to very unusual photos, so be sure to spot them and play along!
Address : KM14 Route de Marrakech, Essaouira 44000, Morocco (Marjana) ; Douar Ait Yassine, Essaouira, Morocco (Kaouki)
Website: http: //coopmarjana.ma/ (Marjana); http://www.cooperativekaouki.com/ (Kaouki)
The Gnaoua and World Music Festival
If you visit Essaouira in June, don’t miss the Gnaoua and World Music Festival! This event serves as a musical springboard for the Gnaouas, a people originally from the Ghanaian empire of Ouagadougou
The festival, which takes place in June of each year, also sees jazz, pop, rock and world music artists entertain as many as 500,000 guests over four days
Many of the shows are free to visitors, so we recommend taking advantage of the unparalleled atmosphere!
Website: https: //www.festival-gnaoua.net/fr/accueil
Diabat
Less than 2.5 kilometers south of Essaouira beach is the small Berber village of Diabat: with sand dunes, typical houses and the ocean as a backdrop, we assure you there your dose of authenticity!
You can walk through the small streets of the village, along the beach below and see the ruins of Borj el Baroud, an old watchtower half buried in the sand
We particularly liked to admire the Dar Sultan Palace, which was probably built at the same time as Borj el Baroud: legend has it that this castle inspired Jimi Hendrix to write his song “Castles Made Of Sand” while he was in the area. Cool, isn’t it?
Diabat is accessible for free on foot from Essaouira, but in case it’s too hot and you lack time or stamina, the site is still accessible to visitors by cab for a few dirhams.
Website: http: //www.maroc-trip.com/Visiter-Voyage/557-Essaouira-Village_Diabat
Watch the sunset on the beach
What better way to end the day than to watch the magnificent sunset over the ocean?
To best admire the orange yellows, reds, pinks and purples shimmering on the water against a darkening blue sky, we suggest you sit quietly on the beach or waterfront as it is the perfect place to watch the sun set
We assure you that it is truly a magnificent sight, as the sinking sun makes the stone of the ramparts glow and the descending light is punctuated by gulls with slender silhouettes
Website: https: //www.guidedumaroc.fr/cote-atlantique/essaouira/plages-essaouria/