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Essaouira day trip

Rated 4.9 out of 5
4.9/5 (33 avis)

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Essaouira in private

PRICE PER PERSON

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2 pax

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per person
75
60
48
40
34

Essaouira in group

PRICE PER PERSON

adult Price(+12 years)

25

child Price (-2 years)

12.5

Essaouira day trip description :

  • Departure of the Essaouira excursion around 7:30 am from your hotel or Riad.
  • Several photo stops on the road.
  • Visit of a women's cooperative of argan oil
  • Free time for lunch in Essaouira.
  • Guided tour to explore the city
  • Return to the hotel around 7:00 pm.

Essaouira day trip program :

Essaouira is a Moroccan originality. Splendid fortified city clinging to the sea, it evokes the Breton Saint-Malo. A few degrees more! Warm and welcoming, it has a particularly authentic atmosphere.

Essaouira is at the same time a fishing port, a very active artisanal center and a seaside resort prized by water sports enthusiasts. Its fortifications, its narrow streets, its whitewashed houses with their blue painted doors and windows give it a particular charm that has no equal in the whole territory.

We take you to discover its colors and scents.

Argan oil, a gift of nature

But first, on the way to Essaouira, we will take the opportunity to cross the country of argan oil to stop and admire fields of argan trees as far as the eye can see with goats climbing on them to eat their fruits.
On the program: the visit of a traditional argan oil cooperative managed by the women of the region.

You will discover the manufacturing and extraction process of the Moroccan elixir as well as its numerous cosmetic and culinary virtues.

From Marrakech, go to the sea !

Arriving in Essaouira the port, we promise you a refreshing wind. You are on the Atlantic. Lunch is free, perhaps you will go to the docks where you will enjoy fresh and grilled sardines. Then, your guide will lead you along the ramparts and in the medina.

He will reveal its unique charms. In particular, you will see how local artisans transform cedar root wood into beautiful decorative objects.

Your guide will also tell you about the ancient Mogador, the name of the city when it was a Portuguese outpost on the sea route to India. There will be time left in the late afternoon for a trip to the beach and a swim in the sea. It's up to you.

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Highlights of this experience :

The port and the Sqala of the kasba

Carpenters build heavy fishing boats according to ancestral methods. At the time of the auction, there is a colorful and smelly animation. At siesta time, the piled up nets are used as mattresses by the sailors.

Pass under the Marine A2 gate, built by an Englishman in 1769, which once linked the port and the city. A staircase on the left leads to the Sqala of the port (entrance fee). From the top of the tower of this fortress the view embraces the city, the port and the islands.

The medina

This labyrinth of white and blue houses can be reached by the Moulay Hassan square. At the end of the square on the left, take the arched alley, then follow the ramparts along which the cabinetmakers work the thuya wood, a great specialty of Essaouira.

A ramp leads to the city's Sqala, whose crenellated wall beautifully overlooks the ocean.

The bronze cannons are Spanish. It was here that Orson Welles shot the main scenes of his Othello, which was to win the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival in 1952. Below the platform, in the old arsenals where the pirates' boats were built and ammunition stored, The Sidi-Mohammed museum, on Laalouj street, gathers beautiful collections of musical instruments, carpets, weaving, marquetry and jewels as well as objects concerning the various brotherhoods of trance.

The beach and the island of Mogador

The beach of Essaouira stretches over 6 km, it is one of the most beautiful in Morocco, but also the windiest, which makes Essaouira a paradise for surfers.

The island of Mogador, which can be seen off shore, is not to be visited. The Phoenicians already occupied this island seven centuries before our era. Later transformed into a prison, then into a bird sanctuary, it is home to a few pairs of Eleonora falcons, a very rare species, and thousands of seagulls.

Moulay El Hassan Square

The lung of the city of Essaouira and a privileged gathering place, the square comes alive in the morning. Invaded by the terraces of the cafes, it constitutes the ideal stage for a refreshing halt at any time of the day.

Woodworking

A great specialty of the Essaouira region, the cedar tree, close to the juniper and cypress, provides the raw material for the city's many carpenters.

An important production of furniture, boxes, salad chests, chess boards and trinkets of all kinds invades the stalls of the medina. Masters in the art of marquetry, the craftsmen also use lemon, cedar and sometimes even ebony wood. However, remember to check the quality of the finishes, the locks, the clasps and the precision of the assembly.

Argan oil

Endemic to Morocco, the argan tree is a thorny tree growing in the arid regions of Essaouira and Agadir. From its olive-like fruit, a particularly fragrant orange oil is extracted that will season your salads wonderfully. Its high cost is explained by the incredible quantity of stones necessary to obtain only one liter.

Inclus

  • Round trip transfers from your Hotel or Riad.
  • Transportation with a Englich-speaking driver in a very comfortable mini bus with air conditioning.
  • Diesel fuel.
  • Transport insurance.
  • Local guide included for the proposed walk to discover the site of the Ouzoud Waterfall.
  • Personal expenses.
  • Lunch and drinks (several local restaurants are available on site with panoramic view on the waterfall).
  • All extras not mentioned on the program.

Our customer reviews :

Rated 4.9 out of 5
4.9/5
Only customers who have participated in this experience are allowed to post a review.
Please note that a number of notices have been translated from the original language to English.
Rated 4.0 out of 5
November 20, 2022

Good value for money, our driver Mohamed was great and we stopped briefly at some unexpected and interesting places on route. Essaouira is definitely worth a visit, but we wished we had a bit more time there considering the length of the drive there and back from Marrakech.

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Caroline
Rated 5.0 out of 5
October 10, 2022

Mohamed is very good driver, safe and advises well on the cities you go past. Very fun day out. 5 stars for me.

Avatar for Poppy
Poppy
Rated 5.0 out of 5
October 3, 2022

Amazing trip, the drivers were so attentive and provided guidance and tips on where to eat, what to do and what to see on the day trip. Highly recommend!

Avatar for Joe
Joe
Rated 5.0 out of 5
September 17, 2022

Great day trip with enough time to explore all of the Medina and beach. Great for seeing GOT scene..

Avatar for Jaspar
Jaspar