ESSAOUIRA, MOROCCO
If you’re looking to get to Morocco’s coastline, I don’t think there’s a better choice than to head to Essaouira. Its relaxing vibe paired with its beautiful colors make it a great change of pace from Morocco’s more heavily populated cities that lack in “personal space”. Only a short 3.5 hour bus ride from Marrakech, Essaouira is very accessible yet far enough away to make you feel like you’re in a whole new world.
Attractions:
Walk around: From the bus station, Essaouira’s city center is a 20 minute walk. The town has a similar feel to Chefchaouen (plus they both have blue undertones everywhere). Check out the night market, take pictures of the street art, wander the medina, sit at the port, eat falafel, lounge at the beach, drink mint tea, etc. Walking around this small town is quite relaxing and the street food is delicious! They sure love their olives and sugar cane juice!
Castelo Real: This is an old 16th century Portuguese castle that now is surrounded by blue paddle boats. It’s near the port and fish market. Definitely walk over there to soak in the portly vibe (as well as snap a cool picture).
Sidi Ben Abdallah: About an hour out of town, there are ruins of an old sultan’s palace. It is said to have inspired Jimi Hendrix’s “Castles Made of Sand”. The walk isn’t overly scenic and it’s a bit far from town, so unless you’re looking for an adventure or a place to jog to, I wouldn’t go out of my way to see this (although it was cool seeing wild goats roaming the area).
Other things you can do: check out the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah Museum (70 MAD entrance), climb the Scala Du Port (60 MAD entrance), and take a day trip to Sidi Kaouki.
Accommodation:
Atlantic Hostel: My favorite hostel in Morocco! This place is cozy, has beautiful graffiti/art, and has an awesome rooftop without wi-fi to encourage people to talk to each other (there is wi-fi on the other floors of the hostel if that’s not your jam). The rooms are gorgeous, they have communal dinners every night, and they also had live music one of the nights that I stayed there. If you’re in Essaouira, you have to stay here!
Transportation:
Marrakech is 3 hours by bus from Essaouira and costs 75 MAD.
Agadir is 3 hours by bus from Essaouira and costs 70 MAD.
Casablanca is 6.5 hours by bus from Essaouira and costs 145 MAD.
There are no direct routes to Fes, Ouarzazate, Chefchaouen, etc. First, you must take a bus to Casablanca, Agadir, or Marrakech and then transfer.
