Skala de la Ville (Essaouira ramparts)

Where it is & how to get there

• On foot: Inside the medina, along the northern sea wall; enter near Rue de la Skala.
• From Marrakech: About 2.5–3 hours by bus or car.
• Medina: The whole medina is pedestrian.

The story of the Skala de la Ville

Essaouira, once called Mogador, was rebuilt in the 1760s by Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah, with the help of a French architect, as a planned port open to foreign trade. Its fortifications combine European military design with Moroccan style.

The Skala de la Ville is a long sea bastion with a row of old bronze cannons facing the Atlantic. The medina was listed by UNESCO in 2001, and its ramparts appeared in Game of Thrones.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

• Come at sunset.
• Visit the thuya-wood workshops built into the rampart arches below.
• Walk the full length of the ramparts at sunset.

What's around the Skala de la Ville

• Thuya wood workshopsCraftsmen under the ramparts.
• Skala du PortThe harbour fortress.
• MedinaWhite and blue lanes behind the walls.
• Essaouira beachLong sandy beach south of the medina.

Questions travellers ask