Essaouira is a charming colorful fishing town; about three hours travels West of Marrakech. It consists of a heavily fortified medina surrounding by a very modern; but compact, new town.

For thousands of years, Essaouira’s harbor attracted traders and invaders from across Europe. During the first Century A.D ; ships came from across the Roman world to trade gold and other valuables for the most prestigious commodity in the Roman world at the -imperial purple dye. This dye was made from a type of sea snail, which lived around the rocks of Essaouira’s ile de Mogador. The town continues as a quiet fishing and trading port until it caught the attention of the Portuguese; who captured the port in the 16th century. Over the next hundred years; the town was fiercely contested between Morocco and the seafaring nations of Europe.
After a number of close calls; the Alaouite sultan Mohamed III decided to take action. He saw Essaouira as a key part of his empire’s valuable trade with Europe; and thought it would make suitable base for Morocco’s navy. As such, it needed protection.

The man who was commissioned to realize the sultan’s vision was the French engineer Theodore Cornut; captured by the Moroccans from a French ship. Cornut’s design included more than Just enclosing the city with walls.
He also drove a number of wide, straight boulevards through the center of medina. His designs from the core of the Essaouira we see today. A well- ordered place laid out around its port; with a more open and less cluttered atmosphere than neighboring Marrakech.

Now the attractive seaside town of Essaouira is much loved Holiday spot for ordinary Moroccans; a quiet friendly town That nonetheless boats a vibrant cultural life and excellent souks. Essaouira’s impressive fortified medina is a fascinating place to explore; and the area’s stunning beaches are popular with windsurfers and kite surfers from around the world.