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by Isabella Haywood
East of Annapolis, on a slight southern curve across the vast Atlantic, lies Essaouira, an intensely charming fishing town on Morocco’s west coast.
I first set foot in the city’s 18th-century medina in 2019, where I was enamored with winding stone streets lined with shops full of silver, ceramics, and wool rugs, and cafés where steaming silver pots poured mint tea (“atay”) from dramatic heights.
When I returned to Essaouira this past July, I was thrilled to see the familiar streets and the hallmarks of daily life: sun-soaked laundry drying on lines, old men holding hands as they walked, people sipping tea and smoking in courtyards, and children running down the narrow streets, playing with cats and soccer balls.
For me, the best part of Essaouira is the scale. This windswept city of 70,000 people contains the best parts of Morocco: music, art, food, outdoor activities, and friendly locals, all within a walkable, design-focused city. You can stumble upon your favorite spots and then visit them again and again.
For those who prefer a slower pace, you can spend a week in an impeccably designed riad, listen to live Gnawa music pour out from streetside cafés, shop for hand-loomed rugs at the markets, and get treated to a Moroccan scrub at a “hammam.” There are also excellent cultural institutions, like Dar Souiri, which showcases Moroccan art and music.
For the more adventurous traveler, Essaouira’s steady trade winds make it a perfect hub for activities like windsurfing and kitesurfing. Nearby towns like Sidi Kaouki, Imsouane, and Tagazhout host lively surf scenes. There are even companies like Cheval Essaouira that provide multi-day horse treks down the coast, where you can trot alongside argan trees, over sand dunes, and spend the night in luxury guesthouses.
Whatever you find to do in this beautiful city, make sure to revel in the hand-painted signs, the bustling fishing port, and strike up conversation with locals whenever you can!
If you do travel to Morocco, I would like to hear about it! Write me at isabellahaywood8@gmail.com
• Riad Perle d’Eau (Small guesthouse in the medina)
• Riad Baladin (Small guesthouse in the medina)
• Le Jardin des Douars (A larger hotel with a pool outside the city. This might be a good choice either before or after staying in Essaouira proper.)
• Café Caravan A whole other world: a candlelit café with Gnawa music performances, tableside magic, and excellent Moroccan food and French wines.
• Khmissa Restaurant Top-notch Moroccan food
• Taverna Bolognese de Maurizio Impeccable handmade pasta and woodfired pizza served by candlelight, tucked away in a small alleyway.
• Essaouira Port Pick out a fresh fish from one of the restaurants, and it will be cooked to order and served with sides and drinks.
• Rfissa – One of my favorite dishes. Chicken and lentils served atop shredded flatbread
• Pastilla – Phyllo dough wrapped around meat, dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar
• Tagine with dried fruits – Slow-cooked beef or chicken with tangy apricots and raisins
• Amlou – Almond butter mixed with argan oil, served with msemen (a great, flaky bread) at breakfast
• Mint tea – of course!
Moroccans speak many languages, including French, Darija (a variant of Arabic), English, Amazigh (the language of the Indigenous people), and Spanish. When people speak, they often effortlessly switch among three or more languages. Here are some useful Arabic phrases:
• Salaam Aleikum – Greeting meaning “may peace be with you”
• Wa-Alaikum-Salaam – Response to a greeting
• Marhaba – Welcome
• Zwina – Beautiful
• Shukran Bezaf – Thank you very much
• Inchallah – God willing. For example, “I will see you tomorrow, inchallah.”
Interesting fact: Essaouira was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 and appeared in the third season of Game of Thrones.
© Annapolis Home Magazine
Vol. 16, No. 6 2025