Essaouira Wind & Surf Coast
The Alizés — the trade winds that blow off the Atlantic from June to September — have made Essaouira one of the top kitesurfing and windsurfing destinations in the world. The same winds kept the city's summer temperatures 10 degrees cooler than Marrakech and deterred pirates for centuries. The beach south of the ramparts is where it all happens.
Essaouira is the windiest city on the Moroccan coast. The alizé — the northeast trade wind — blows reliably from April to September, sometimes reaching 40 km/h by afternoon. The city was built because of the wind: the natural harbour is sheltered from the Atlantic swell, but the wind drove the sailing trade that made the port rich.
Now the wind drives a different economy. Essaouira and the beaches south toward Sidi Kaouki are one of the best windsurfing and kitesurfing locations in North Africa. The bay at Essaouira works for intermediate to advanced riders — the wind is cross-onshore and the water is flat inside the bay, rougher outside.
The surf coast extends south for 20 kilometres. Sidi Kaouki, Moulay Bouzerktoun, and the beach breaks between them pick up the full Atlantic swell that wraps around Cap Sim. The water temperature is cold year-round — 17–20°C — because the Canary Current brings sub-Arctic water south along the Moroccan coast. A wetsuit is not optional.
The wind dies in winter. October to March is calmer, warmer in the afternoon sun, and better for walking the ramparts without being sandblasted.
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