Riad Ghazal

Riad Ghazal sits along the Ghazoua road outside Essaouira's medina walls, positioning guests closer to the Atlantic coastline than most riads clustered around Place Moulay Hassan. Rated 9.5 from 282 reviews, this guesthouse consistently outperforms larger competitors in guest satisfaction — a notable result for a property of this scale.

The outdoor pool is rare among Essaouira guesthouses, where ocean winds keep most properties from investing in one. On-site massages covering full-body, foot, neck, and head treatments remove the need to seek a hammam in town. Cooking classes and themed dinners draw on Soussi coastal cuisine, not the generic tagine-and-couscous format common in medina riads.

Activity options lean toward the region's natural geography: windsurfing, horseback riding, fishing, and cycling all available through the property — practical for a base near Essaouira's surf-heavy southern beaches. Airport shuttle runs to Essaouira-Mogador Airport, roughly 15km northeast.