Essaouira, Morocco Travel Guide: Wind, Waves and the Atlantic
Essaouira is a coach trip from Marrakech or Agadir, with no train. This guide gives the coach times and prices, the airport taxi advice and the Skala entry price from official sources. For budgets see the Morocco travel cost guide.
Sources checked 2026-10-23: live searches on supratours.ma, ctm.ma and oncf-voyages.ma for Wednesday 4 November 2026 (1 adult), ONDA’s page for Essaouira-Mogador airport, and the Ministry of Culture’s ticket portal.
Getting there from Marrakech
There is no train to Essaouira. The usual way is a coach from Marrakech.
| Company | Departures seen | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supratours | 6 a day, from 07:30 to 17:00 | 3h00 | 100 to 125 DH |
| CTM | 1 a day, 08:30 | 3h00 | 105 DH |
Supratours is ONCF’s coach company and leaves from Marrakech. CTM ran a single departure, so Supratours gives you more choice. From Agadir, CTM runs the route with three departures (08:15, 11:30, 13:30), 3h30 to 3h50, at 105 to 110 DH. Supratours showed no result for Agadir to Essaouira.
ONCF’s booking site also sells a train and coach ticket from Casa Voyageurs: 220 to 235 DH for 6h17 to 6h54 in total, with a change at Marrakech. More routes are in getting around Morocco.
From the airport
Essaouira-Mogador airport has no bus listed on its ONDA page. ONDA says taxis are available on request and gives a recommended fare of 150 DH per ride between the airport and the town. That is advice, not a fixed tariff, so agree the price first.
The Skala du Port
The sea ramparts are the main paid sight. On the Ministry of Culture’s official ticket page, entry to La Sqala du Port was 60 MAD for a foreign adult and 30 MAD for a foreign child aged 7 to 13. Hours on the portal are shown as 9h to 17h. We found no official price for the Skala de la Ville, and sources that call it free are unconfirmed.
Day trip or overnight?
A day trip from Marrakech works on paper. The first Supratours coach leaves at 07:30 and takes three hours, so you arrive around 10:30. On the date we checked, Supratours had six departures from Essaouira to Marrakech (07:00, 09:00, 11:00, 14:00, 15:30 and 16:00), and the last one at 16:00 arrives at 19:00. Fares were 100 DH, and 125 DH on the 16:00. Outbound, the last Marrakech departure was at 17:00, so a day trip means catching the 16:00 back at the latest. The Marrakech day trips guide compares the other options. One night gives you the evening and the morning in town without a rush to the coach.
Wind and beach
Essaouira has a reputation for wind. We did not find an official wind or season source, so check a forecast before you plan around it. For climate figures by month, see the Morocco weather guide.
The medina and UNESCO
The Medina of Essaouira, formerly Mogador, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2001 (56.7 hectares, listing 753). UNESCO describes it as an exceptional example of a late 18th century fortified town, built on the principles of contemporary European military architecture in a North African setting, and a major international trading seaport linking Morocco and its Saharan hinterland with Europe and the rest of the world.
Weather
Essaouira is not among the nine Moroccan cities in the World Weather Information Service (WMO) dataset, so we found no official monthly table for it. Agadir, the nearest city in that dataset, is covered in our Agadir travel guide, but its figures should not be copied across, since the two towns are on different stretches of coast.
Onward routes by coach
CTM runs Essaouira to Casablanca four times a day (10:00, 12:00, 15:30 and 17:15), taking 5h50 to 7h15 for 205 to 220 DH, depending on whether you get off at the Casablanca FAR or Maarif terminal. To Agadir, CTM runs at 14:30, 16:30 and 19:30, 3h to 3h30, for 105 to 110 DH.
By air
Essaouira-Mogador airport had a single arrival on ONDA’s board on the day we checked, a flight from Madrid at 18:30. That is one day’s snapshot, but it fits the picture that most visitors arrive overland from Marrakech or Agadir.
Essaouira at a glance
| Item | Detail | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Marrakech to Essaouira by coach | Supratours 3h00, 100 to 125 DH; CTM 3h00, 105 DH | 4 Nov 2026 search |
| Agadir to Essaouira by coach | CTM 3h30 to 3h50, 105 to 110 DH | 4 Nov 2026 search |
| Airport taxi | 150 DH recommended per ride (ONDA) | ONDA page |
| Skala du Port | 60 MAD adult, 30 MAD child 7 to 13 | Ministry of Culture |
| UNESCO listing | 2001, listing 753 | UNESCO |
Day trip budget
A day trip from Marrakech by Supratours costs 100 DH out and 100 to 125 DH back, so 200 to 250 DH per person for the coach, plus 60 MAD for the Skala du Port. That is 260 to 310 MAD, or roughly 24 to 28 EUR at about 11 MAD per EUR, before food. The last coach back we found left at 16:00, so plan the day around it.
Planning checklist
- Pick your return coach first (Supratours 16:00 is the last one we found from Essaouira to Marrakech).
- Agree the taxi price before you get in at the airport, since 150 DH is advice, not a tariff.
- Check a wind forecast if you plan beach time, since we found no official wind source.
- Stay one night if you want the evening in town without watching the clock.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the bus from Marrakech to Essaouira?
100 to 125 DH on Supratours (3 hours) and 105 DH on CTM, on the date we checked.
Is there a train to Essaouira?
No. ONCF sells a train and coach combination, which is slower than the direct coach from Marrakech.
How much is a taxi from Essaouira airport?
ONDA recommends 150 DH per ride to the town.
How much does the Skala du Port cost?
60 MAD for a foreign adult, according to the Ministry of Culture’s ticket page.
Can I go to Essaouira from Agadir?
Yes, with CTM: 105 to 110 DH, 3h30 to 3h50.
What time is the last coach from Essaouira to Marrakech?
On the date we checked, the last Supratours departure was at 16:00 and arrived at 19:00, at 125 DH.
Is Essaouira a UNESCO site?
Yes. The medina was inscribed in 2001 (listing 753).
Sources
- ONCF (train timetables and fares)
- CTM (coach timetables and fares)
- Supratours (coach timetables and fares)
- UNESCO World Heritage List
- WMO World Weather Information Service (climate normals)
- ONDA, Moroccan airports authority
- Ministry of Culture ticket portal
Last checked: 24 October 2026. Treat the prices here as a guide and confirm them with the provider on the day you book.
