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Ninety seconds on Skala du Port
One climb up the tower at the harbour mouth gives you the postcard view of Essaouira: the boats framed through a round stone gun port, with the town, the sea and the island behind.
Built to guard the port, this fortified tower and rampart at the harbour entrance is a core part of the medina's defences. The Ministry of Culture runs it as a ticketed monument.
Only the walls and the old cannons along them are left from its working life. Along the rampart beside the tower the guns face the sea, and the walkway looks straight down on the fishing boats as they come and go from the quay below.
From the panoramic terrace at the top, the view takes in the whole harbour, the medina walls and the open Atlantic. A classic view frames the harbour through one of the circular stone gun ports.
A ticket for the fort lets you onto the rampart and up the tower, and the Ministry of Culture also sells them online.
Walk the rampart first, past the cannons facing the sea, and stop above the quay to watch the fishing boats come and go below. Then take the stairs up the tower to the terrace and look out over the harbour, the town and the island.
The fort closes at 5pm, so plan the climb for the daytime.
Go in the morning. The terrace at the top has no shade, and it is windy up there.
Hold on to hats and loose scarves before you step out onto the terrace. Carry water and sun cream for the top, since there is no cover from the sun once you are up.
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The official pages this guide was checked against.
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