Africa
Highlights - Essential Info - Itineraries - History
- Essaouira
- Fes
- Hideaway Hotels - Kasbah Tamadot
- Marrakech
- Taroudant
- Tineghir & the Valley of the Kasbahs
- Trekking in the Atlas Mountains
- Zagora & Erfoud
Essaouira
The charming port of Essaouira on the Atlantic coast serves as a wonderfully refreshing contrast to the dry, arid country that makes up much of Morocco.
Originally known as Mogador to sailors and traders in the 17th & 18th Centuries, the town prospered at this time as the only Moroccan port south of Tangier open to European commerce and many European and Jewish merchants settled in the kasbah and Mellah quarters respectively.
Enclosed by medieval-looking battlements and fortifications, situated opposite rocky islands and trailed by a vast expanse of empty beaches and shimmering dunes, Essaouira is a fascinating area to explore on foot with some excellent seafood restaurants and attractive shopping opportunities.
If you are looking for some uninterrupted relaxation at the end of a trip to Morocco, watching the morning's catch being hauled ashore or merely soaking up the peaceful atmosphere, Essaouira is the ideal destination.
Our preferred hotels & riads include:
Villa d'O
L'Heure Bleue
Villa Maroc
Madada Mogador
Riad Watier
Dar Loulema
Sofitel Mogador
