Location
Situated within Essaouira's Old Medina, Castles in the Sand holiday houses are well located for the souk, shops, bars and restaurants and just 10 minutes walk from the Essaouira’s sweeping sandy beach.
Map of Essaouira Medina
One of the best things about Essaouira is wandering around and getting lost in its maze of quirky alleyways. Sometimes you can lose your bearings though so we'd recommend you find a nearby landmark to help you remember your way home. Alternatively, you can use Google Maps (requires internet connection) to mark your location before you leave the house or save our map of Essaouira Medina to your phone (so you won't be reliant on data roaming or WiFi connection).
Property Locations
Our holiday guesthouses are located right in the centre of this beautiful little town. They serve as an ideal base for exploring the local area, or simply as a means to relax and unwind in unique and magical settings.
Dar Emma is really well located at the front of the medina close to all of the shops and restaurants. Dar Beida is at the back of the medina, in the more Moroccan quarter, just minutes from the food markets. Both houses are within the old medina walls and approximately a 10-minute walk to Essaouira's long sandy beach.
An information pack with a restaurant guide, information on Hammams, horse riding, quad biking and various other activities will be provided.
Essaouira is famous for its myriad shades of blue: blue skies, deep blue sea, blue trawlers and sardine boats loaded with their catch of the day, tiny blue boats huddled against each other, blue shutters and doors on bright white walls.
Rumour is… the fishing boats in Essaouira are blue so as not to scare the fish!
Essaouira
Southern Morocco's most favoured coastal town - and the one most easily reached from Marrakech - offers both a contrast and an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Essaouira has managed to retain a laid-back timelessness rarely felt in the seething streets of Marrakech. It's a relaxing place and a charming one too. Sandy colored ramparts shelter a clean and bright medina built around French piazzas, carved archways and whitewashed avenues and alleys.
Over the past decade, Essaouira has become known as a centre for arts, crafts and music, attracting visitors to its galleries and workshops and hosting an assortment of annual festivals. Apart from the well known Gnaoua World Music Festival in June, there is also a Flamenco Festival and Arabo-Andalucian music in autumn and a classical music festival each spring.
The fishing port, overlooked by grand fortifications, provides a constant source of supplies for local restaurants, while the wide sandy beaches to the south have put Essaouira on the windsurfing map as a surfing mecca.
The town can also claim to be one of the cleanest and freshest in Morocco, with no vehicles in the medina, regular street sweeping and the Alizes breeze keeping the summer months cool.
Photography credits via Pinterest