Things to do in Essaouira ...

Shop in the souks for leatherwork, metalwork, exquisite carpentry, glazed pottery, jewellery, brightly coloured carpets, original art, olives, spices, rare argan oil and more ..... 

Try some watersports (surfing/kitesurfing/windsurfing/bodyboarding/kayaking) - or just sit at a beachside café and watch

Wander round the medina marvelling at the  architecture

Indulge in a massage at a traditional hammam (steam bath)

Marvel at the craftsmanship in the little thuya wood workshops under the ramparts

Relax and watch the world go by with coffee or mint tea, and maybe a patisserie, in one of the cafés on Place Moulay Hassan

Visit the port and watch fishermen landing their catch or learn how boats are crafted using centuries-old techniques, then eat  super-fresh grilled fish or shellfish at one of the seafood stalls

 Have lunch with your feet in the sand at Ocean Vagabond café

Learn about local music in the little museum

Spend half a day tearing through the sand dunes on quads around the nearby beach of Sidi Kaouki

 Visit Place Joutiya between 4 and 5 pm to watch locals auctioning everything from teapots to trousers

Take a cheesy photo of the town through the porthole at Skala du Port

Ride a horse or camel along the beach

Go game fishing

Marvel at the ‘Ficus remarquable’ (remarkable fig)

Watch football on the beach

Enjoy lunch on the terrace at Taros - then go back in the evening and party to live music (Thurs/Fri/Sat)

At low tide, walk 2 miles along the beach and see the romantic fort of Borj El Barod crumbling into the sea, or the ruined sultan's palace at Diabet

Do some birdwatching in the Ksob river.

Take a boat to the Iles de Mogador, breeding ground for the rare Eleanora’s falcon

 Visit the vineyard at Ounagha (Val d’Argan) and try some of the locally produced wine

Hire a bike, car, taxi or caleche (horse-drawn taxi) and visit the nearby beach of Moulay Bouzarqtoune, enjoying lunch at the lovely café Lawama overlooking the ocean and watching windsurfers in action.

Eat out at one of the many characterful restaurants

Watch the sun set from one of the beachside cafés, rooftop terraces – or with a glass of wine at Chez Rebecca

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