The fishing harbor in Essaouira (Port de Pêche) is one of the city’s most colorful and interesting attractions. The harbor is located close to Essaouira’s historic medina and is a busy Atlantic fishing port. In fact, it has been an active port for more than 2,000 years, and as with the medina, still shows some of its historic fortifications.
Essaouira’s harbor is famous for its brightly painted small wooden fishing boats, together creating a flotilla of vibrant blues. As you can see from the following photos, the scene is quite colorful. Larger modern trawlers and fishing vessels also operate here and tend to go further out and into deeper waters. If you time it right, you can see fishermen unloading their daily catches.
I visited in the morning, just after breakfast, when the harbor was noisy, lively, and busy. Fishing boats had returned with fresh seafood. The breeze was cool and refreshing, and there was definitely a smell of fish in the air. If you like seagulls, you’ll see (and hear) your fill around the boats and their catch.
The quayside becomes a fish market where vendors sell their catch directly, and small stalls will grill what you want on the spot. Fishermen unload crates of sardines, dorades (sea bream), sole, conger eels, shellfish, sea urchins, and more. The city is especially known for its sardines.
A fish auction is held every day, which I did not personally witness
Workers repair their nets and prepare them for the next day’s fishing, and pack the day’s catch on ice.
While it’s not Morocco’s largest fishing port (nearby Safi or Agadir handle more volume), it’s probably the most famous. It was certainly the highlight of my visit to Essaouira.
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