Essaouira: the Moroccan paradise that has broken visitor records this summer
Known as the "City of the Trade Winds", due to the almost constant winds that blow from the tropics and make it a paradise for lovers of all varieties of surfing, Essaouira has broken all records for the number of visitors during the summer 2023 that is about to end.
According to a press release from Essaouira Town Hall, the town on the Moroccan Atlantic coast, which usually doubles its population during the month of August, has broken all records in 2023 by tripling its population. This is unprecedented in the city's history.
More than a third of the tourists who visited Essaouira this summer came from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America. This is a significant increase on the usual numbers of tourists from these countries, as the majority of holidaymakers in the Moroccan city tend to be nationals or Moroccans living abroad.
The key to this increase in visitors has been the increase in the number of direct flights to the city from numerous cities. For example, since last April, Ryanair has been offering direct flights from Madrid, Binter from Las Palmas and the city is also connected to other major European airports in the UK and Germany.
In September, direct flights will also begin from Tel Aviv airport, thanks to a recent agreement signed between Morocco and Israel.
As the city council points out, "the increase in direct flights to Essaouira has contributed significantly to this increase in visitor numbers, but according to the comments of many tourists on social networks and in hotels, in addition to the legendary mildness of its climate in these hot periods, the attractiveness of the city is explained by the positioning of the city's heritage, cultural and artistic heritage for more than three decades as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is now bearing full fruit".
The city has an important historical tradition of coexistence between the three great monotheistic religions (Islam, Christianity and Judaism) and has a wide cultural offer for those interested in learning about its history, thanks to the exhibitions and initiatives organised by the Provincial Department of Culture, which serve to publicise the work of Essaouira's painters and sculptors.
Music festivals
In addition to its appeal as a beach destination (the constant winds attract surfers from all over the world), Essaouira also has a close connection with the world of music.
The town became famous in the 1960s among the hippy movement after rock stars such as Jimi Hendrix discovered it and spent time there.
Essaouira's link with music has been maintained over the years, thanks to the major events it hosts every year. One of these is the Gnaoua Festival, now in its 25th year. It began in June 1998 as a modest festival to promote traditional Gnaoua music, and over the years it has become a gathering where traditional Moroccan music joins styles such as jazz, reggae, blues, rock and pop.
Known as the "Moroccan Woodstock", it has become the most important music festival in Africa, attracting more than 400,000 visitors in recent years.
More recently, taking advantage of Essaouira's popularity among Game of Thrones fans (the city became Astapor, the Red City, in the third season), a group of entrepreneurs created the Moga Festival in 2016, aimed at bringing together Moroccan and international musicians and electronic music artists.
Moga is now one of the most important electronic music festivals in the world and has just opened a second venue in Portugal.
