Essaouira, Morocco: Easy Living, Creative, Coastal Living

The first two weeks in Essaouira were spent in an Airbnb just steps from the beach. After four straight months on the road through France, Spain and North Morocco which was full of constant movement, this felt like a shift into a steadier chapter. A place where I could settle, dig deeper, and build routines.

Mornings began with long beach walks along Plage d’Essaouira. Wide, open sand stretching for miles, with horses and camels trotting past like it’s completely normal. Kitesurfers carved through the wind, surfers pushed against the Atlantic swell. Roly was in absolute heaven, sprinting full throttle across the shoreline, tail up, zero restraint.

Breakfast quickly became ritual at Le Panoramique, an open beachside restaurant facing straight out to sea. Fresh juices, generous plates, oversized loungers you sink into, and the kind of place where you can easily stay longer than planned. And yes, dog-friendly.

In fact, Essaouira turned out to be one of the most dog-friendly places I’ve experienced in Morocco. Roly was welcomed everywhere; cafes, restaurants, bars, shops, even beauty salons. No hesitation. No awkward glances. Just space for him to exist alongside me. Read more in my Travelling Morocco with a Dog guide. 

Evenings often drifted back toward Avenue Mohammed V for sunset drinks at La Coupole, a echo-friendly, bohemian rooftop restaurant facing the ocean. Spectacular skies. Good cocktails. Playlists that know exactly what they’re doing. The kind of golden-hour energy that makes you pause and feel genuine gratitude for the life you’re living.

Those first two weeks didn’t feel like a stopover. They felt like the beginning of something longer, and without fully realising it yet, I was already settling in.

Moving Into the Medina: Six Weeks of Settling In

After two weeks by the beach, I crossed town and moved into a new Airbnb inside the medina. The apartment stretched across three floors; a kitchen at ground level, bedroom and bathroom above, and a private rooftop terrace at the top with a lounger. Moroccan hues, textured walls and plants threaded through the rooms which gave it warmth and character. It felt like a proper base. Not a stopover. A home. And that’s exactly what it became for the next eight weeks.

It also turned out to be a great place to work as a digital nomad on the days I needed focus. I had options throughout the house between the rooftop in the sun, quiet corners inside, and even a small desk on the second floor when I wanted to sit down properly and concentrate. The host was incredibly hospitable, and it’s somewhere I’d happily return to whenever I’m next in Morocco.

Mornings in the medina opened with birdsong, children playing in the alleyways, and the call to prayer rising across the rooftops. It wasn’t background noise, it was atmosphere. Uplifting. Grounding. A reminder you’re living somewhere, not just passing through.

Essaouira’s medina feels different to Marrakech. Still atmospheric. Still textured. But softer. Less chaotic. More space to enjoy it.

Being in the medina meant everything sat within reach: markets, bakeries, the port, the beach, co-working spots, rooftop cafes, restaurants, bars. And when I didn’t feel like moving? I had my own terrace to work from, laptop open, still soaking up the vibes.

After a couple of weeks, you fall into your own routine. You know which rooftop hits best at sunset, the best co-working spots, where to get your nails done, where to eat the best food, and where to take visiting friends and family.

KSOU Restaurant Rooftop and Brunch&Co became a regular. Casual lunches at Koozina Garden and Restaurant la Tolérance. Hair and beauty at Mimi’s and Salon Rochelle centre de beauté. The fish market for something fresh. 

Living in the medina meant I wasn’t visiting anymore. I was part of the daily choreography.

Beach Days, Runs & Sunset Rituals

Essaouira has wind. Not a breeze, wind. Constant. Defining. The kind that shapes the sea, the sand, and your hair in equal measure, and yet it’s still warm.

Between February and March during my stay, temperatures hovered between 20–25°C. Proper sun. Clear skies. Heat on your skin. But the wind keeps it honest. It takes the edge off the midday warmth, makes long runs possible, makes sitting in full sun actually enjoyable. On hotter days, you’re grateful for it.

Morning runs along the beach became non-negotiable. Wide, open sand stretching for miles. The Atlantic rolling in. Roly either charging ahead at full speed or circling back to check I was keeping up.

There’s something about running beside the ocean that resets everything. Breath, horizon, and movement.

And when evening rolls in, Essaouira really shows off. The skies don’t just fade, they perform. Some nights it’s a wash of violet. Other evenings the horizon burns red, then melts into deep orange. A slow, glowing shift that holds your attention. 

Seagulls cut across the sky in sharp silhouettes. The ocean stretches wide and open beneath it all. It’s cinematic and majestic in a quiet, coastal way and impossible not to stop and watch.

Some of my favourite spots to catch it with a drink in hand were La Coupole, KSOU Rooftop, Mega Loft, Beach & Friends, and Taros, especially on nights when I wanted a little more music, a little more movement, a little more volume.

But just as often, it was simpler than that. Standing barefoot on the sand on the beach watching the sun drop clean into the Atlantic with nothing but horizon in front of me. No booking. No plan. No rush. Just letting the day close the way Essaouira does best.

Workdays, Moroccan Tea & Co-Working Energy

Essaouira surprised me as a work base. It doesn’t brand itself as a digital nomad hub, but it absolutely holds you.

The pace supports focus. The medina provides background movement without distraction. Enough life to feel connected, not enough to distract.

Some days I worked from my terrace. Other days I rotated between cafes and spots like Noqta Space, Three Little Birds and Picknick for a midday reset between calls. Moroccan tea became the anchor,  poured high, mint heavy, sweet enough to carry you through a long client day.

After months of constant movement, I finally built something that resembled routine:

• Morning run or beach walk
• Moroccan tea
• Deep work block
• Late lunch
• Sunset outside

No frantic Wi-Fi hunts. No packing the car every few days. Just steady output, salt air, and space to think.

It was another bonus on this route that made work and location feel fully aligned. You can read more in my guide Digital Nomad Life in Morocco: Best Cities, Costs & WiFi Reality.

Beauty, Vet Appointments & Staying Human

I was no longer passing through. I was living here. 

My First Ramadan in Morocco

By the time  Ramadan began, I had already been in Essaouira for several weeks. That meant experiencing Morocco not just as a visitor passing through, but during one of its most important months.

In reality, life in Essaouira didn’t change dramatically. As a coastal town with a steady flow of travellers, most things continued much as normal. Restaurants still served food, cafes remained open, the beach was as active as ever, and you could still explore the medina freely throughout the day.

What did shift slightly was the tempo of the day. Mornings felt quieter, and during daylight hours eating and drinking in public is generally done a little more discreetly out of respect for those fasting. Some shops reduced their daytime hours, but the city never felt closed or restricted.

By late afternoon you could feel a different kind of anticipation building. As sunset approached, the streets filled with people collecting food for iftar, the evening meal that breaks the fast. Bakeries were busy, food stalls became livelier, and families moved through the medina preparing to gather together.

When the call to prayer echoed out at sunset, there was a brief pause across the city. And then tables filled, conversations lifted, and the evening unfolded in a vibrant, social way that often carried late into the night.

What stood out most was the sense of togetherness. Ramadan here isn’t something staged for visitors. It’s simply part of daily life. Work still happens. Markets still open but there’s a shared understanding that this month carries deeper meaning; spiritually, socially and culturally.

For me, it became another layer of living here rather than something separate to observe. Experiencing my first Ramadan in Morocco wasn’t about watching from the outside. It was about adjusting respectfully, noticing the small shifts in the day, and appreciating a tradition that quietly shapes everyday life.

And in Essaouira, staying longer made all the difference. You can read more in my Visiting Morocco During Ramadan guide. 

💌 A Note from the Road

Essaouira is the kind of place that makes you stay longer than planned. Eight weeks unfolded through beach runs with Roly, rooftop lunches and dinners, Moroccan tea between client calls, and sunsets that seemed to show off a little more every night.

Life just worked here. Wake up. Beach. Work. Good food. Ocean air. Repeat. The medina buzzed without the chaos of bigger cities. The beach stretched for miles. The food was excellent. The sunsets were ridiculous. And everywhere we went, Roly was welcomed like a local.

Somewhere along the way it stopped feeling like a stop on the route. It started feeling like a place I belonged.

Leaving was genuinely hard, but that’s the nature of life on the road. When somewhere feels this good, you don’t close the chapter completely, you just make a quiet note to come back.

And Essaouira is firmly on that list. 

For full city guides, itineraries and supporting travel advice, explore all our Morocco Travel Guides.

Now, it’s time for the next route.

Next stop: Sahara desert