Essaouira, Morocco is a popular getaway on the Atlantic coast of the North African nation. Most of the tourists who visit the beach town stay in one of the many large, expensive hotels right along the promenade.
Other tourists visiting Essaouira stay at one of the many smaller riads, family-run guesthouses, in the medina of the old city. As far as hostels in Essaouira go, there aren’t many great options.
But there is one hostel of note. And it’s one of the best hostels in which I have ever stayed. Out of the countless hostels where I’ve spent time, in dozens of countries, Essaouira Beach Hostel is easily among the top. Here’s why you should stay at Essaouira Beach Hostel in Morocco:
The Ideal Hostel Stay
Essaouira Beach Hostel is what all hostels should be like. It is an excellent model for how a hostel should properly be built and operated.
When building this hostel, they got it all right. The setup is excellent. The ground floor has plenty of space to comfortably relax or socialize. The ground floor also has the kitchen and community refrigerator. The small terrace on the second floor has plenty of space for laundry.
The bathrooms (for anyone or those staying in large dorms) are right next to the rooms, but the sound is not distracting in the night at all. They are cleaned multiple times a day and are surprisingly nice, especially compared to most other hostels in which I stayed in Morocco.
The middle floors are smaller dorms and private rooms. This is perfect for guests who want to pay a little more for additional privacy.
The best part of Essaouira Beach Hostel is the rooftop terrace. This is a feature every hostel in a warm, sunny place should consider. It is absolutely spectacular. The views of the beach and offshore island are great, and it is the best place in the hostel to hang out. There are guests lingering around here most of the day. The rooftop terrace is a great place to watch the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean, and it’s the perfect spot to have a few beers and relax at night.
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Location Location Location!
Real estate is all about location, right? Well, so is travel. Choosing the right place to stay during a trip makes all the difference.
Nice accommodation in a bad location can lead to a negative experience. The lodgings may be great, but that’s meaningless unless you’re traveling for no other reason than to stay in a comfortable room. Sometimes, what may seem like a great location when booking turns out to be inconvenient or overrated.
Essaouira Beach Hostel has a great location. It’s across the street from the beach in a fairly calm area. Essaouira is a popular destination for kitesurfers, regular surfers and travelers who want some beach time. This hostel is not only in a prime location for beach activities, it has its own rental shop and is next door to another.
There are no other hostels in Essaouira near the beach. Essaouira Beach Hostel is not within the old city. The old city is about a 15-minute leisurely walk from the hostel. It’s the perfect distance to enjoy multiple facets of the city. Personally, I enjoyed not staying in the medina. The hostel is planning to open a second location in the medina, and I look forward to staying there upon my return to Morocco.
The beach and sea views from the hostel are phenomenal. The sunsets from Essaouira Beach Hostel are reason enough to not stay in the medina.
An additional location bonus for budget travelers and backpackers staying at Essaouira Beach Hostel is the cheap services nearby. Several restaurants with super cheap food, much cheaper than in the medina, are a couple blocks away, and the only liquor store in the area is right there, too.
Better Than Hotel Options
The big hotels in Essaouira are just that – big. They don’t offer much else. The large, international hotels are expensive and pretty dull by the looks of it.
Essaouira Beach Hostel may not be directly on the beach, but NONE of the hotels in the city are directly on the beach. There is always a road in between. If you want privacy, the hostel also has private rooms. And they are cheaper than the rooms in nearby fancy hotels.
For those that think hostels are only for young people and solo travelers, that’s simply not true. During my long stay at Essaouira Beach Hostel, there were travelers of all ages, groups in varying sizes and even families.
There’s really no reason to stay in a hotel in Essaouira, not when there is a hostel of this quality nearby.
Essaouira Beach Hostel is Really Cheap!
The primary reason travelers choose hostels is because they’re affordable. It’s frustrating (though usually understandable) that some hostels are becoming more expensive.
Essaouira Beach Hostel is not expensive. The prices are cheap but the quality is great. Dorm rooms start at less than $10/night. Private rooms start at less than $40/night. Sure, you can find a cheaper place to stay, but the odds of it being this high quality are not good.
This hostel’s affordability is more impressive when considering the free breakfast. Most free breakfasts at hostels are little more than bread and jam. Breakfast at Essaouira Beach Hostel is a full Moroccan spread. Moroccan bread (msemen and khoubz), coffee/tea, fruit, cheese, vegetables and so on. This will help backpackers and budget travelers save a couple extra bucks each day.
At least once a week, Essaouira Beach Hostel hosts a huge family dinner. The dinner is a type of Moroccan couscous, and it is more than a satisfying meal. On occasion, the hostel offers other random freebies to guests. This hostel is a budget winner in more ways than one.
Book Your Stay at Essaouira Beach Hostel Here:
Booking.com
HostelWorld
The Right Amount of Social
Essaouira Beach Hostel is not a party hostel. If it was, I would not recommend it. I hate party hostels.
Party hostels may irritate me, but so do boring hostels. What’s the point of staying in a hostel that is boring and antisocial? That defeats one of the main reasons for choosing a hostel.
Essaouira Beach Hostel has a great atmosphere. The hostel does not sell alcohol, but you’re welcome to bring your own. And the rooftop is an excellent place to meet other travelers, relax, watch the sunset and have a few drinks.
The ground floor of Essaouira Beach Hostel has a great space for getting work done, hanging out with other guests or even jamming on some of the resident instruments.
In my time at this hostel, I made fantastic friends. I had people to wander and hang out with every day. When I finally departed Essaouira, I left with a couple of other guests with whom I traveled for a few days. Had it not been for the excellent atmosphere of this hostel, my time in Morocco would have been much less enjoyable.
Essaouira Beach Hostel Staff
A good hostel is all about the staff running the place. The Essaouira Beach Hostel staff is excellent. It is predominantly local, with the occasional backpacker on an extended stay helping out.
Staff are the driving force behind the atmosphere at a hostel. At this hostel, the staff organizes events to create a friendly atmosphere. They are also incredibly friendly and personable. Perhaps most importantly, the staff does an excellent job of keeping the property secure and clean.
The staff at Essaouira Beach Hostel has plenty of tips and suggestions for the city, but also for onward travel throughout Morocco. I was uncertain which method of travel would be best or cheapest to reach my next destination after Essaouira. The staff had all the answers.
There is only one good choice for where to stay in Essaouira for backpackers and budget travelers. Essaouira Beach Hostel is that choice. Travelers come for the beach and the medina, but they stay for the atmosphere and sunsets.
A good hostel is clean and safe with the right sociability. Those are the most important factors. Finding a hostel that is all of these things and more – fun, friendly, knowledgeable and cheap – makes backpacking a lot more fun. I don’t usually write about specific hostels. I prefer to help people find the best eats. After such a great experience staying at Essaouira Beach Hostel, I decided to share so other backpackers and travelers might enjoy Morocco a little more.
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