Essaouira, Mogador Facing the Ocean

• Historical
• Heritage
• Coastal
• Cultural

This self-guided tour introduces Essaouira, an 18th-century new town whose medina has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001, through all of its places open to visitors. The landward walls run from the Bab Marrakech bastion, restored as a cultural space, to Bab Doukkala, the medina's main monumental gate. In the medina, with its regular layout, the Mellah and Bayt Dakira, the town's house of Jewish memory, recall the importance of the Jewish community in the history of Mogador; the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah Museum tells the story of Essaouira. On the ocean side, the ramparts and the Skala de la Kasbah with its cannons lead to Place Moulay Hassan, between the medina and the port, then to the Skala du Port, which guards the entrance to the historic harbor, and to the fishing port, still at work. The beach and its bay face Mogador island, admired from the shore. Allow a long day on foot, or spread the tour over several days. The wind often blows hard on the ramparts: bring a warm layer.