Essaouira with kids – family-friendly Morocco

Morocco is the perfect place for reminding me that I don’t need to travel that far to find myself somewhere completely different. Despite flying for just a few hours, I always feel transported to another world whenever I visit, far more so than anywhere else a similar distance away.

The overwhelming colour, noise, smells and sheer vitality of Marrakech is almost equally energising and exhausting, usually leaving me craving the peace of our riad.

Fes, my favourite of the cities I’ve visited, always seems to have the best of Moroccan tradition but less full-on, leaving you to search it out in the maze of the labyrinthine medina.

Then there’s Meknes, less visited by most tourists but with its own fascinating history and vineyards around the town, producing the area’s Pinot gris.

I’ve travelled between Marrakech and Fes, an all-day journey along twisting roads which took us past incongruously Alpine scenery in the mountains. And one day I’d love to head south to the Sahara.

But one destination has suddenly become much easier to reach for a family holiday: Essaouira. Set on the Atlantic, it’s always had a tempting reputation – laid-back, with its seafront location making it great for kite surfing as well as strolling the fortified harbour.

There’s a walled medina and old Jewish quarter to discover as well, plus food, souks and general strolling, whether that’s along the seafront or through the little stalls of the winding old medina.

There really are so many things to do in Essaouira with kids that you won’t struggle to fill a holiday – check out this advice from Travelynn Family about exploring Morocco with kids if you fancy looking further afield too.

I love this post from On The Luce to give a flavour of the atmosphere in Essaouira too.

Previously, you needed to take a three-hour transfer from Marrakech to get there or change at an airport along the way, but there are now some direct flights from the UK to Essaouira, depending which month you travel in – easyJet were the first to launch a direct flight from London, but you can now also fly with Ryanair (if you’re happy to fly with Ryanair!)

Sun, sea, short flights and a famously child-friendly country, without the intensity of Marrakech or the likelihood of getting lost in Fes… this is shooting up my list for a toddler-friendly short break.

All images copyright MummyTravels

LIKED THIS? SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL NEWSLETTER