Essaouira Beach
Wind-lashed Atlantic beach where kitesurfers and camel riders share the sand.
Essaouira Beach — known locally as Plage d'Essaouira — is a vast, wild stretch of Atlantic coastline running several kilometres south of the old medina walls. This is not a groomed resort beach. It's a working landscape of wind, spray, and open sky that has made Essaouira one of the world's premier windsurfing and kitesurfing destinations. The trade winds that blast in from the Atlantic — locals call them the alizés — blow with remarkable consistency from spring through autumn, turning the beach into a permanent arena of coloured kites and sails.
In practical terms, the beach is where you go to feel the full force of what makes Essaouira different from every other Moroccan city. The northern end, closest to the medina ramparts and the old blue fishing boats, is the most atmospheric place to walk — the 16th-century Portuguese-built Skala du Port looms above you and the waves crash against ancient stone. Further south, kite schools set up their gear and the beach widens into a broad, firm-sand stretch where horses and camels are hired out for rides along the shoreline. Vendors sell fresh grilled fish and argan-oil-roasted almonds from small stalls near the water's edge.
The wind is genuinely strong here most of the year — even on a sunny day it can be cold, and sand will find its way into everything. Come in the morning for calmer conditions and better light. The beach is free and open at all hours, and the medina is a five-minute walk back through the sea gate. If you want to take a surf or kite lesson, reputable schools like Explora and Magic Fun Afrika operate out of the beach area and offer instruction at various levels.