Golf guide • Morocco • Marrakech-Safi

Golf in Essaouira: Gary Player's dunes facing the Atlantic

Essaouira, an 18th-century fortified port on Morocco's Atlantic coast, has a single golf venue: Golf de Mogador, a few minutes south of town, whose 18-hole, par-72 North course was designed by Gary Player and opened in 2009. Golfers come for windswept golf between dunes and ocean, paired with a UNESCO-listed medina, ideally in spring and autumn; the other courses are two and a half hours' drive away, towards Marrakech or Agadir.

Plan this tripUpdated 11 October 2026

Essaouira is nothing like a golf capital, and that is its charm. The town was founded from 1760 by Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah, and its plan, drawn in 1767 by the French architect Théodore Cornut, a disciple of Vauban, combines European-style ramparts with Moroccan lanes. Its medina has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. The gulls, the smell of the harbour and the wind, which earned the town its nickname of "wind city", set the tone for the stay.

Golf is played a few minutes to the south, in the commune of Diabat, at Golf de Mogador. Gary Player made his first design in Morocco here, among sand dunes and pines with views of the ocean. The North course, opened in 2009, is the reason for the trip; a second layout, to the south, was begun in a pine forest. Elsewhere, allow two and a half hours' drive to the courses of Marrakech or Agadir: here you play the same course several times, and the wind makes it new every day.

The ideal rhythm is three to five nights: a round in the morning, then the medina, the Skala and the harbour in the afternoon. The sporty round it off with a kitesurfing session in the bay. Essaouira also pairs very well with Marrakech: a few days on its courses, then the road to the Atlantic to end the trip facing the ocean.

The courses

Green and ochre sand bunker edged with dune grasses, wind-bent eucalyptus, the sea in the background

Golf de Mogador, parcours Nord

Architect: Gary Player
Opened 2009
18 holes
Par 72

Opened in 2009 and designed by Gary Player, the North course at Golf de Mogador is a par 72 of 6,608 metres from the black tees, set among the dunes and an old pine forest with the Atlantic as a backdrop. Wide fairways, large fast greens and carefully placed bunkers: it calls for a real variety of shots, all the more so as the wind changes the length of the holes from one day to the next. With six tees per hole, from 4,050 to 6,608 metres, it suits seasoned players and beginners alike. In 2011 Golf World ranked it among the twenty most exciting new courses in the world.

Signature hole. The 17th, a par 4 doglegging right, climbs to a well-defended green; it is the hole you remember, just before a long 18th guarded by fairway bunkers.

Official website

Where to stay

Heure Bleue Palais

A member of Relais & Châteaux, Heure Bleue Palais arranges its 33 rooms and suites around a courtyard with a murmuring fountain, in the heart of the medina. An English drawing room with a fireplace, a spa and, on the roof, a heated pool facing the ramparts and the ocean. Back from the course, a few minutes away by car, lunch at SAMA on the roof terrace, then go down to the English Lounge for the kemias, served from 6.30pm.

Le Jardin des Douars

In the hills of the Oued Ksob valley, sheltered from the Atlantic winds, this ksar-style boutique hotel with rounded forms brings together 19 rooms, 6 suites and private villas in a large garden, and holds a Michelin Key. Ask for a Beldi Terrace or Smala Terrace room for the private terrace, take a yoga class at the Club des Douars before your tee time, and keep the domed hammam for after the round.

Riad Chbanate

An eight-room riad on Rue Chbanate, in the heart of the medina, a few minutes' walk from the beaches, with a large rooftop terrace and jacuzzi. Seven suites have a fireplace for windy evenings; ask for the Suite Panoramique, on the fourth and top floor, with its private terrace facing the ocean. In the kitchen, Oumaima and Ghizlane buy fish at the market each morning: order it for dinner, or the tagine of your choice.

Whitewashed riad courtyard with blue doors and balconies, palms in terracotta pots and a tiled fountain

Where to dine

La Table Madada

Beneath the stone arches of a former carob warehouse, from which the king's merchants shipped their goods to Europe, La Table Madada is devoted to fish and shellfish landed that same day. Order the spider crab gratin, the house signature, and start at the bar with Illias's coriander mojito. Evenings only, by reservation, and closed on Tuesdays.

Les Alizés Mogador

On Rue de la Skala, at the foot of the ramparts, Les Alizés Mogador has no sign, just a small door: behind it, a candlelit dining room under stone arches. Kader looks after the room and the cooking is Moroccan and homely: zaalouk, seffa, sardine balls. Pastilla must be ordered ahead. Few tables, so book.

Beyond golf

The medina, the Skala and the harbour

Théodore Cornut's grid plan is easy to explore on foot. Walk along the Skala, the rampart several hundred metres long armed with dozens of Spanish cannon facing the breakers, then go down to the harbour, where the fishing boats unload their catch. Marquetry in thuya, a fragrant wood, remains the town's craft: more than half its artisans work it. Late afternoon, when the light gilds the stone, is the best time.

Kitesurfing and surfing in the bay

The wind that complicates the golf delights board riders: Essaouira is nicknamed the "wind city". On the beach, Ocean Vagabond gives kitesurfing, windsurfing, surfing and wing-foiling lessons, with equipment for hire, and the sheltered bay suits beginners well. Its terrace facing the sea is a good lunch stop after a round.

The Purple Isles

A few hundred metres offshore, from the late 1st century BC these islets housed King Juba II's purple dye works, a colour highly prized in Rome. Now a protected bird reserve, from April to October they host Eleonora's falcon, which nests here before heading back to Madagascar. The islands are closed to visitors: the birds are watched from the coast and the ramparts.

Ochre stone rampart with cannon facing the waves, white houses with blue shutters and gulls at sunset

When to go

The climate is mild all year: monthly averages run from about 15°C in winter to 20°C in September, which spares you the heat of Marrakech. Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most pleasant seasons for golf. Winter remains playable but brings most of the rain, which falls from October to April and totals about 340 mm a year. The wind, the town's trademark, is part of the game, as on a links.

Getting there

Essaouira-Mogador airport (ESU), 16 km from town, has few flights; most itineraries go through Marrakech Menara (RAK): Marrakech is about 174 km away, two and a half hours by road. Agadir is the same distance to the south. Golf de Mogador lies a few minutes south of the medina, and a car with driver is the simplest option for transfers.

Frequently asked questions

How many golf courses are there in Essaouira?

A single venue, Golf de Mogador, designed by Gary Player for two courses. The 18-hole, par-72 North course has been open since 2009; the South course, in the pine forest, has only partly opened. The nearest other courses are about two and a half hours' drive away, in Marrakech or Agadir.

Who designed Golf de Mogador?

Gary Player, whose first design in Morocco it is. The North course opened in 2009 and in 2011 featured among Golf World's twenty most exciting new courses in the world.

When is the best time to play golf in Essaouira?

In spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). Temperatures are mild all year, but winter is wetter, and the wind is always part of the game.

How many days do you need for a golf trip to Essaouira?

Three to five nights: two or three rounds on the North course, the medina and the harbour, a kitesurfing session. The stay combines easily with a few days of golf in Marrakech.

Which airport is best for a golf trip to Essaouira?

Marrakech Menara (RAK), about two and a half hours by road, has the most flights. Essaouira-Mogador airport (ESU), 16 km from town, has few routes.

Tailor-made

Your golf trip: Essaouira

Tee times, suites, transfers and tables: your concierge replies within 24 hours with a proposal shaped around you.

Green on the edge of an ochre cliff above the ocean, wind-twisted argan trees and waves on the rocks

Souss-Massa