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Essaouira is a wind-swept coastal city in Morocco with a long, exposed beach facing west-northwest. The beach produces consistent waves and the city is famous for its trade winds (which are better for kitesurfing than surfing). When the wind drops, the beach break delivers fun, accessible waves. The walled medina and harbour are atmospheric. Surfing is best in the calmer months.
The beach picks up Atlantic swell year-round. An easterly wind is offshore but rare. The famous trade winds (north-easterly) are sideshore. The best surfing windows are early mornings before the wind builds, or during calm spells in winter. Works on all tides. The 2-5ft range is most surfable.
The main beach has multiple peaks. The section near the medina walls is most popular. Further south (towards Sidi Kaouki) the beach is wilder and less crowded. Sandy bottom throughout.
Wind is the main challenge. The trade winds can be fierce and make surfing impossible. Sandy bottom keeps consequences low. Currents on bigger days. The wind chill makes it colder than expected.
Park near the medina or along the beach road. Direct beach access. Full city facilities. Surf schools and hire available.
Moderate. Essaouira attracts surf tourists but the wind limits rideable days. When it is calm enough to surf, expect 15-20 people. Kitesurfers dominate on windier days.
Essaouira is best combined with trips to Sidi Kaouki (20 minutes south) which is slightly more sheltered. Early mornings (before 10am) offer the calmest conditions before the trade wind builds. The medina is a UNESCO site worth exploring. The seafood in the harbour is exceptional and cheap. Winter (December-February) offers the calmest winds.
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Based on historical weekly averages
Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
How busy each week is based on school holiday overlap from feeder markets.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 28 days of logged conditions.
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Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Essaouira. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical mid-June.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at Essaouira is the week of 16 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Not much swell but keen eyes will find something to ride. Short-period wind swell: expect weak, crumbly faces. Gentle onshore putting some texture on the faces. Conditions improving through the afternoon.
Heads up: jellyfish: peak season, and rip risk elevated.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
Reduced water clarity: ~2m visibility
Elevated phytoplankton detected, possible algal bloom
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Essaouira