Discover a Moroccan seaside charmer
Waves crash into Essaouira’s Atlantic coast
Jutting out into the Atlantic surf with the cries of seagulls carried on the breeze, Essaouira can feel like a place apart from the rest of Morocco – that’s one side to its appeal for many visitors. Its airport is a modest affair, but easyJet is now starting a direct link with the UK, with a service from Luton. Fittingly, the fight passes close to Saint-Malo in France, a town that Essaouira is said to resemble: a forward-thinking sultan of the 1760s invited a French architect to build up and fortify a point on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, taking inspiration from the Breton port. Known as Mogador for much of its history – a name that still crops up a lot – Essaouira is now a World Heritage site thanks to the mix of Moroccan and European infuences in its sturdy sea walls, close-knit medina and historic mellah (Jewish quarter), where you can follow a beach stroll by browsing galleries selling naïve art and sampling grills and tajines favoured with nutty, locally produced argan oil.