Essaouira Port

What makes it special

Fishing still drives much of the local economy, and this harbour is where it happens. In 2022 about 16,300 tonnes of fish were sold through the port, landed by the boats tied up along its quays, where the sailors are at work on the boats.

On the quays you can see fishing boats built entirely of wood by traditional methods. They come out of a rudimentary boatyard on the port and go straight into service with the fleet.

The harbour fort, the Skala du Port, guards the entrance. Gulls gather over the boats in flocks and swoop for the scraps the crews throw down, and the air smells of brine and fresh fish.

Visiting

Start at Place Moulay Hassan and head towards the water, away from the medina souks. Boats land through the morning, and the crews help one another unload.

Walk the quays past the moored boats. The catch goes to auction in the fish hall, and once the hall has closed the selling carries on from small stalls and straight off the boats.

Finish at the grills. Buy a fish from a boat or a stall and take it to one of the port's grill restaurants, which cook what you bring for a fee.

Tips

Go before lunch if you want to buy fish to cook, while the haggling over the catch is still going on. Later in the day the restaurants along the port show their fish on ice out front, and you choose one there instead.

Leave sandals at the riad. The quays are wet from the landing and slick with fish scraps, and open shoes come back needing a wash.