Getting There

By Plane -- Essaouira's small international airport (tel. 0524/476704), 15km (9 miles) south of the town, welcomes a few flights from Paris and Casablanca each week. Grands taxis are usually waiting outside the terminal for each incoming flight, and will charge around 150dh for up to six passengers (so long as they think you are traveling together) for the drive into town.

By Bus -- Buses to Essaouira arrive daily from Agadir (4 hr.; 50dh-70dh), Casablanca (6 hr.; 145dh), Marrakech (3 1/2 hr.; 60dh-80dh), Rabat (6 hr.; 130dh), and Safi (2 1/2 hr.; 55dh). CTM services (tel. 0524/784764, or 0522/541010 central reservations; www.ctm.ma) and all other long-distance bus companies (except Supratours) arrive at the gare routière (tel. 0524/784764), located 500m (1,640 ft.) northeast of Bab Doukala. Open around the clock, it's a fairly straightforward building with ticket counters for the various routes and companies and a 24-hour luggage storage service (5dh per bag). If you've got a bit of luggage, or if it's after dark, take a petit taxi to your preferred medina entrance (around 10dh). Supratours (tel. 0524/475317) runs daily services from Essaouira to Agadir (3 hr.; 60dh), Marrakech (2 1/2 hr.; 65dh), and Safi (2 hr.; 40dh). The Supratour buses depart from a small ticket office located just off avenue Lalla Aïcha, between Bab Marrakech and Bab Sbâa. Prebooking is advised, especially for all services (Supratours and others) to Marrakech.

By Grand Taxi -- Grands taxis to Agadir (1 1/2 hr.; 85dh) and Marrakech (3 hr.; 125dh) operate throughout the day from outside the gare routière. When arriving into Essaouira, ask your driver to drop you off outside Bab Marrakech on the way to the gare routière.

By Car -- Arriving into Essaouira is as easy as driving along boulevard Mohammed V. There are parking lots outside Bab Sbâa and Bab Marrakech, guarded around the clock and costing 25dh per day, payable in advance; there's also some street parking (same cost) around place Orson Welles.

Visitor Information

The Office National Marocain du Tourisme (ONMT; signposted DELEGATION PROVINCIALE DU TOURISM ESSAOUIRA) is within the medina at 10 rue de Claire, just inside from Bab Sbâa (tel. 0524/783532). The recently renovated office dispenses the usual glossy brochures, and often lists the latest cultural events taking place. It's open Monday to Friday 9am to noon and 3 to 6:30pm.

"CLIPS Around Essaouira" is a free city guide detailing upcoming events and festivals, as well as providing a few informative articles on various aspects of Souiri life. Published quarterly by Atlante Diffusion (tel. 0524/475906), you'll find it in most of Essaouira's accommodations and restaurants, many of which also prominently advertise within its pages.

City Layout

Essaouira is delightfully compact and very easy to navigate. Everything you'll need is within the medina or along the beachfront down to the Quartier des Dunes. The one entrance into town comes in from the southeast, along the beachfront boulevard Mohammed V. This road terminates at the port, from where the medina can be accessed via place Moulay Hassan, Bab el Menzeh, or Bab Sbâa. The other main medina entrances -- Bab Marrakech and Bab Doukala -- are accessed by turning off boulevard Mohammed V onto avenue Lalla Aïcha, which leads onto avenue Moulay Youssef.

The medina itself is dissected by avenue Zerktouni, rue Souk Jdid, avenue l'Istiqlal, and avenue Oqba ibn Nafiaa, one continuous street running northeast to southwest, joining Bab Doukala and Bab el Menzeh. The other major streets include avenue Mohamed el Qouri, accessed by Bab Marrakech, and the busy tourist street of rue Lattarine. At the far southwest corner of the medina is the large square, place Moulay Hassan. Between Bab el Menzeh and the beach is place Orson Welles, dedicated to the great filmmaker who shot his famous Othello here in the 1950s.

Getting Around

For travelers, Essaouira is a place to explore on foot. There are a few petits taxis usually hanging outside the medina (remember the medina is pedestrian only), but travelers will only need their services if they don't want to walk to the bus station.

Fast Facts

Banks & Currency Exchange -- Banque Populaire (tel. 0524/476902) and Wafa (tel. 0524/486903) are both located on place Moulay Hassan, and BMCE (tel. 0524/489456) is just around the corner; both have bureaux de change. There's a new branch of the BMCI (tel. 0524/486325) bank with an ATM, on the corner of boulevard Mohammed V and avenue Lalla Aïcha. There's a bureau de change/Western Union outside, open daily from 8:30am to 1pm and 2 to 6pm.

Car Rentals -- Of the major international firms, only Avis is here, with offices in town at 28 bis av. Oued el Makhazine (tel. 0524/475270) and at the airport (tel. 0524/474926). The two reputable companies located along boulevard Mohammed V are Dzira Location, 50 bd. Mohammed V (tel. 0524/473716), and Isfaoun Rent-a-Car, 62 bd. Mohammed V (tel. 0524/474906; www.essaouiracar.com).

Doctors & Dentists -- Dr. Said el Haddad (tel. 0524/478675) is located on avenue l'Istiqlal, opposite the mosque. Outside the medina, Dr. Omar Farkhssi (tel. 0524/477621) is located on place Dar Talib, on the corner of avenue Al Aqaba and avenue Fes, along with a number of dentists and Pharmacie Najib.

Drugstores -- There are plenty of pharmacies around Essaouira. In the medina are Pharmacie Haddada, on avenue l'Istiqlal (tel. 0524/473714), and Pharmacie La Kasbah, 12 av. Allal ben Abdellah (tel. 0524/475151). All general pharmacies in Essaouira open Monday to Friday from 9am to 12:30pm, 3 to 7:30pm, and 9pm to 1am. They then work on a roster system after hours and on the weekend.

Emergency -- For general emergencies and the police, call tel. 19. The main police station, Gendarmerie Royale, is located outside the medina on avenue El Aqouasse. For a private ambulance, call Ambulance Tassorte (tel. 0673/209562 or 0661/064839) or Mogador Assistance (tel. 0661/247624).

Hospitals -- The public hospital (tel. 0524/475716) is located just outside the medina from Bab Marrakech, on boulevard de l'Hôpital.

Internet Access -- Cyber les Ramparts, 12 rue du Rif, behind the restaurant Les Trois Portes (tel. 0524/474728), has more than 20 computer stations and is open daily from 9am to 2am.

Language Schools -- Alliance Franco-Marocaine de Essaouira, in the medina at 9 rue Mohamed Diouri (tel. 0524/476197; www.ambafrance-ma.org/institut/afm-essaouira), is the Essaouira branch of the nationwide Instituts Français. They offer semester-long French classes (40 hr.; 900dh) and various Arabic courses in both Moroccan Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA).

Maps & Books -- Plan d'Essaouira is a map of both the medina and the greater Essaouira town, and is very well formatted and easy to read. Most of the town's accommodations are marked. It costs 15dh and can be bought from many hotels and maisons d'hôte, as well as numerous shops within the medina. On place Moulay Hassan are two bookshops, Jack's Kiosk (tel. 0524/475538) and Librairie La Fibule (tel. 0524/476790). They both sell a fair selection of English-language guidebooks, nonfiction books, postcards, and the above-mentioned Plan d'Essaouira. They're both open daily from 10am to 10pm, closing earlier in winter and later in July and August.

Newspapers -- Jack's Kiosk and Librairie La Fibule both sell various week-old U.K. and U.S. dailies and weekly international versions of the Guardian and Herald Tribune. L'horloge Bureau, located at the base of the clock tower on avenue Oqba ibn Nafiaa, sells 1- and 2-day-old U.K. dailies such as The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, and The Sun.

Photographic Needs -- The best photo shop in town is Labo Photo Flash, next to Patisserie Chez Boujmaa on avenue Allal ben Abdellah (tel. 0524/475657). It sells and processes a good selection of film, transfers digital images to CD, and sells memory cards. The shop is open daily from 9am to 9pm, often closing later during July and August.

Police -- The main police station, Gendarmerie Royale, is located outside the medina on avenue El Aqouasse. Dial tel. 19.

Post Office & Mail -- Essaouira's main post office is outside the medina on the corner of avenue Lalla Aïcha and rue Al Mokaoama (btw. Bab Marrakech and bd. Mohammed V) and is open Monday to Friday 8am to 4:15pm. There's a newly renovated branch office on rue Laâlouj, open similar hours.

Restrooms -- There are no public restrooms within the medina. There are some ablution shower/toilet blocks (signposted WC) south of the outdoor seafood grills on place Moulay Hassan, but they're mainly used by the local fishermen. Your best bet is to try one of the better dining establishments mentioned below. Along the beach promenade, you'll find a couple of toilet blocks facing the more popular sections of the beach.

Safety -- Essaouira is very safe to walk around during the day, but certain areas can feel a bit threatening come nightfall. The Mellah neighborhood within the medina, located north of avenue Zerktouni, is best avoided after dark, especially around the derelict areas along rue Mellah and rue Kowait. I've seen drug dealers doing business here even in broad daylight. During the Gnaoua & World Music Festival in June, take care of your belongings as you're squeezing through the jampacked crowds.

Telephone -- Essaouira's city code has recently changed from 024 to 0524.

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