One of the highlights in visiting Morocco is checking out the medina of various cities. A medina is the old part of a city and is usually walled with tons of narrow streets. They can be amazing to explore, full of markets, grand and not-so-grand buildings, underpasses and arches, and a sea of humanity. Marrakesh’s medina can be very intense. If you found yourself overwhelmed on your visit there, why not check out the medina in Essaouira. It is much smaller and much calmer. While the medina in Marrakesh was cool in its own way, as an introvert, I preferred Essaouira’s quieter medina.
The medina of Essaouira is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It was once a royal port and major trade hub between Africa and Europe. Today, it is considered to be “an outstanding example” of a mid-18th century fortified town. The medina exemplifies, according to UNESCO, harmonious Arab-Muslim architecture and town planning. I can’t speak to the harmony, but I definitely appreciated the simplicity of a planned town (i.e. minimal windy alleys) because it meant that I could use the GPS on my phone if I so wanted! Good luck doing that in Marrakesh’s medina…
I spent 2.5 days in Essaouira and stayed at an Air BnB apartment within the medina. It allowed me to wander the streets at anytime of day. From late morning to mid-afternoon, the medina was full of tourists doing a day trip, likely from Marrakesh. But before they arrived and after they left, Essaouira was pretty quiet. It was during this time that the streets were nice to explore. Especially if you’re a peopled-out introvert or a photo-enthusiast like me! Here are 28 photos from my Essaouira collection; I think they will give you an idea what the city’s medina is like.
