Essaouira is Morocco’s laid-back, hippy beach town on its Atlantic coast. Jimi Hendrix is supposed to have been inspired to write Castles in the Sand there. The town itself is a friendly maze of whitewashed alleyways and cosy restaurants. The beach is a huge sweep of white sand, popular with surfers. But what about an Essaouira scuba diving trip?
Morocco is not known as a dive destination, and the industry is still in the early stages of development in the country. There is a misconception that scuba is banned in Morocco. That’s not true: you can dive and there are dive schools around. It could be difficult to find a place to dive in Essaouira itself, but if you are willing to travel a little further, you’ll be able to dive.
Agadir is a short hop along the coast from Essaouira and has dive schools. Tangier, further north on the southern side of the straits of Gibraltar, does too. Visibility can be a problem in both places, but when conditions are good, there is plenty to see. Dive schools will tend to drive out from the city and away from any pollution to start a dive.
Expect to see a variety of marine life, including tuna, bream, eels and grouper. If you’re lucky, you may catch sight of a few turtles. Morocco is also a good place for dolphin spotting – if you’re really lucky, you’ll see some of them on your dive! Sometimes you’ll be able to arrange a combined diving and dolphin spotting trip.
Take an Essaouira scuba diving journey and see Morocco’s underwater side. It’s a great way to explore the coast and have an adventure away from the tourist crowds.