Golf in Essaouira at a glance
Essaouira is a whitewashed port on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, about three hours west of Marrakech. Its walled medina, a late-18th-century fortified town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town has one golf club, and it is a memorable one: Gary Player’s Mogador Golf Club, laid out in the dunes and forest just south of the town.
| Essaouira | |
|---|---|
| Golf course | Mogador Golf Club (Gary Player), dunes and eucalyptus forest |
| Character | Windy, coastal, wild; the same hole can need a wedge or a hybrid |
| Weather | Cooler than Marrakech in summer; wind most days |
| Getting there | Essaouira airport, or a private transfer from Marrakech or Agadir |
| Best for | A two-night coastal add-on, or a quiet golf week by the sea |
| Off the course | UNESCO medina, fishing port, wide beaches, kitesurfing |
What is Mogador Golf Club like?
Gary Player’s course at Mogador is built on the land just south of Essaouira, where dunes meet a eucalyptus forest. The wind is what you remember. The same steady Atlantic breeze that makes Essaouira a kitesurfing capital turns every round into a test of flight and patience. A hole that needs a wedge in the morning can need a hybrid by mid-afternoon.
It is not a course for chasing a score. It is a course for golfers who enjoy working the ball low, reading the wind and playing somewhere that feels genuinely wild. It ranks among our best golf courses in Morocco for exactly that reason.
How do you plan a golf trip to Essaouira?
Most of our guests use Essaouira in one of three ways:
- A two-night coastal add-on to Marrakech. Play the Marrakech courses for most of the week, then transfer to the coast for a round at Mogador, an evening in the medina and fresh fish at the port.
- A stop between Marrakech and Agadir. On a two-centre trip, the coastal road through Essaouira breaks up the drive and adds a third course style to the week. See our Marrakech vs Agadir guide for how that itinerary works.
- A stay-and-play week. Five or seven nights on the coast, playing Mogador several times as the wind changes, with free days for the beach and the medina.
Where should you stay for golf in Essaouira?
We offer two hotel-and-golf packages in Essaouira, both with green fees at Mogador and private transfers to the course:
- Atlas Essaouira Riad & Resort 5★: a resort hotel with direct access to Mogador Golf Club, the most convenient base if golf is your priority.
- Le Médina Essaouira Hotel Thalassa Sea & Spa 5★ – MGallery: on the seafront by the medina, with a thalassotherapy spa, for golfers who want to walk into town in the evening.
Packages run from three nights with two rounds to seven nights with five. Each includes B&B, tourist taxes, a daily pyramid of 50 practice balls, private hotel–golf transfers and transfers from Essaouira airport. Prices are on each hotel’s page. If you arrive through Marrakech or Agadir, we add the airport transfer.
When is the best time to play golf in Essaouira?
Essaouira is a year-round destination. In July and August it stays noticeably cooler than Marrakech, which makes it one of the best summer golf choices in Morocco, alongside Agadir and El Jadida. Wind is the constant: it is present most days and tends to build through the afternoon, so we book morning tee times where we can. Our month-by-month guide compares the coast with the inland cities.
What is there to do in Essaouira off the course?
Essaouira is the easiest place in Morocco to slow down. The medina is compact and walkable, with ramparts above the sea, galleries and craft workshops. The blue fishing boats come and go from the port all day, and the grilled-fish stalls by the harbour are a ritual. Beyond the town, the long, wide beach belongs to kitesurfers and windsurfers. Non-golfing partners can fill a day easily, and our excursions and leisure tours cover the region.
Tell us your dates and we will build an Essaouira golf stay, or add it to a Morocco golf tour.