A Local’s Guide to Water Sports in Essaouira

Protected by fortifications dating back to the 16th century, Essaouira’s medina is a Unesco-designated site where you can get lost among art galleries and stalls selling piles of spices and fresh bread. There are quaint blue boats docked in the old port and fishermen can be seen gathering every day to sell what they caught in the morning. In the fish market inside the medina you will find street-food vendors happy to grill or fry what you just bought. There are also countless eateries here, so you can feast on tagine and couscous to your heart’s content.

As the beach is usually too windy to lounge in the sun, most people will hang around to do water sports. Essaouira is a popular spot for surfing between October and March, although the weather can feel colder than other areas of Morocco due to the strong winds. Kitesurfing and windsurfing are usually practised in the spring and summer months.

Morocco is a very popular destination for surf camps as they tend to be cheaper than other destinations in Europe, US or Australia. Located in a riad in the medina, Surfari Essaouira offers lessons of surf only or surf and yoga including accommodation and food.

If you’ve always been intrigued but never had the chance to try the sport, you can schedule in an afternoon to see how you feel on the board.

At Atlantic Zin you can take private or group lessons to surf or windsurf for as little as two hours, where you will be given all the necessary equipment.

For those who feel comfortable enough on the surfboard, Essaouira Surf offers surf guiding packages with accommodation and food included. Guests stay in a typical riad in the heart of the medina and are transported to the best beaches for their level of expertise by a local guide.

As Morocco’s windy city, Essaouira is the perfect place to have a first go at kitesurfing. A longer course for kitesurfing could be more effective than a couple of days of lessons as there are many tricks to master. Mogasurf has packages for all levels, offering accommodation in one of its surf villas.

Windsurfing isn’t particularly popular in Morocco, but that’s not the case in Essaouira. Windsurfers rule the beach here! Explora Watersports offers courses of six or 12 hours for windsurfers of all levels. Guests can choose between two of its riads, one in the medina and one along the beachfront, both of which serve first-class Moroccan food.

A 20-minute drive from the city, Sidi Kaouki is popular destination for both surfers and windsurfers as well as those who to experience rural Morocco’s Berber villages. Sidi Kaouki Surf Station offers several kinds of packages, including a surfing week with horse-riding trails.