Essaouira
[The Windy City]
Windiest city of the country
Essaouira, originally called "Mogador" is known as “The Windy City”. Thanks to the constant Atlantic winds, it is one of the very few places on this earth where you can kitesurf the whole year. April to September the wind probability is 80-100%, October to March 55-75%. This vibrant coastal city is a must-visit when you come to Morocco. It´s suitable for groups of friends, solo travellers, couples and families thanks to all the cultural offers. Thanks to Essaouiras co-working spaces this beautiful city gets more and more popular among digital nomads as well.
Diversity
Although Essaouira is a relaxed and laid-back town, it offers an array of activities to balance the chilled vibe with excitement. Besides watersports, you can find plenty of activities to enjoy such as high-class yoga sessions, bicycle- or quad tours, horseback and dromedary rides, open-air cinema, dancing, cooking or language classes, buggy excursions, and sand surfing. You can relax in one of the spas and hammams, enjoy a massage, and discover the historical center that’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. You can choose from many possible day trips to visit the sand dunes or get to know the magical city of Marrakech.
Moroccan Culture
Essaouira offers a myriad of possibilities to explore Moroccan culture. Although alcohol is not as easily to find in an islamic country, you will see enough places where you can enjoy a good glass of wine or cocktail after a long day of activities. Essaouira has several terraces with live music and DJs - on one of the rooftop terraces, in the médina (historical center) or directly at the beach where you can dance bare-feet in the sand. Since several years Essaouira proudly hosts different festivals like the Gnaoua Festival in spring or the Moga Festival with international guests hosted in autumn. Official languages are Arabic and French. Many people speak English as well in the touristic places.
Where to kitesurf in Essaouira?
You will find two kite spots that both offer shallow water. The most known is Essaouira bay: the half-moon shaped main touristic beach that's only a few minutes walking from the old town. It offers a side-on-shore breeze pretty much the whole year. On the north side of the bay, the wind tends to come very unclean. The more south you go, the cleaner the wind gets. Which brings us to Ord Omar, locally known as the "Second Beach" less than 10 min by car from the bay. Here you won't find tourists besides watersport enthusiasts. It's our favorit spot around Essaouira!
Flight connections
The closest airport is Essaouira Airport (ESU): 15 minutes from the city with direct flights from Brussels, Paris, London, Madrid, Marseille, Bordeaux, Tel Aviv, Düsseldorf Weeze. The second closest airport is one of the biggest international airports after Casablanca: Marrakesh (RAK) which is 2,5 hours by car from Essaouira.
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Transfers from Marrakesh and Essaouira airport are included in all our packages. If you fly into Agadir, Casablanca or another airport we can organize the transfer for you and find the best possible price. Contact us for coordination.
Please check here the current direct flight connections. Adjust the search to see direct flights to Marrakech.