Nearby
Ghazoua
Ghazoua is a countryside village 10 km and 14 minutes by road south of Bab Doukkala, where the Essaouira road meets the N1. You come here to sleep quietly in a guesthouse, not to sightsee. The last bus leaves town at 18:30, so for evenings you need a car or a host who drives.
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Ghazoua (الغزاوة) is a countryside village 10 km south of Bab Doukkala, 14 minutes by road by our route calculation. The RR211 out of Essaouira meets the N1 to Agadir at a roundabout here. So everything heading south comes through: Agadir, the airport and Sidi Kaouki, whose road branches off 5 km further on. Our round-up of Essaouira’s neighbourhoods and surroundings puts Ghazoua in the ring of villages, between Diabat and Sidi Kaouki.
What is there, and what is not
Ghazoua has no monument, no beach and no seafront. The village lies inland, 5 km from the coast as the crow flies by our measurement on OpenStreetMap. It is countryside given over to guesthouses with gardens, often with a pool. This is argan country: UNESCO designated the Arganeraie biosphere reserve in 1998, close to 2.5 million hectares with Essaouira inside its limits.
Places open to the public are few. Yoga Attitude holds group classes here at 150 MAD a session, according to its undated price page, and our yoga section sets it against the studio in the medina. We have not yet logged the grocer, chemist or cash machine nearest the guesthouses. Ask your host when you book. Our view: you choose Ghazoua for what it lacks, and that is reason enough.
Getting there and back: 10 km and a last bus at 18:30
From Bab Doukkala, allow 10 km and 14 minutes by car. A walking route calculation gives 9.7 km and 2 hours 9 minutes on foot, which is not a stroll. From Ghazoua, Diabat is 6 km and 8 or 9 minutes by road depending on direction, Sidi Kaouki 16 km and 13 minutes.
Lima Bus has run the province’s suburban lines under concession since 2005, according to its website. Four of its lines end at places the road reaches through Ghazoua: Aguerd (1), Sidi Kaouki (2), Smimou (3) and El Hrarta (4). Their timetables, undated, uploaded in July 2022 judging by their address and still online on 16 October 2026, add up to 42 departures a day from Essaouira, from 06:30 to 18:30. OpenStreetMap shows a stop shared by all four lines at Ghazoua, 300 m from the N1 roundabout. The operator’s site publishes neither the fare nor the departure point in town.
In December the sun sets around 17:40, so the 18:30 bus runs in the dark. The other way, the last return leaves Sidi Kaouki at 19:30. After that you are left with a car or a booked taxi, and our guide to getting around Essaouira compares taxis, buses and driving. Our view: the bus is for a morning in town, not for dinner there.
Staying here, and what to avoid
Ghazoua is first and foremost guesthouse country, with dinner at the family table. The village suits long stays whose plan fits inside the garden: reading, swimming, a yoga retreat. During the Gnaoua festival, announced for 24 to 26 June 2027, it is also a fallback when the medina is full.
Avoid booking three nights here to see the medina. Every dinner in town then means a 20 km round trip, and a car or a driver at the agreed hour. Before you book, ask your host whether they drive, until what time and at what price. Without a car, eat at the house and keep the town’s restaurants for lunch. For the sea, the village of Sidi Kaouki is 13 minutes away by road, and Diabat, across the Oued Ksob 6 km away.
See on the map
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From Essaouira: about 10 km, about 15 min by car
Frequently asked questions
Where is Ghazoua in relation to Essaouira?
It is 10 km south of Bab Doukkala, 14 minutes by road, at the roundabout where the Essaouira road meets the N1 to Agadir. The roads to Sidi Kaouki and the airport both pass through it.
How do I get to Ghazoua without a car?
Take a Lima Bus: OpenStreetMap shows a stop at Ghazoua shared by four lines, whose timetables list 42 departures a day from Essaouira between 06:30 and 18:30. In the evening, rely on a booked taxi or your host.
How long is the walk from Ghazoua to Essaouira?
Over two hours: our route calculation gives 9.7 km and 2 hours 9 minutes on foot to Bab Doukkala. Take the bus by day and a car at night.
Is there a beach at Ghazoua?
No, the village is inland, 5 km from the coast as the crow flies. Diabat is 6 km away by road and Sidi Kaouki 16 km.
Do I need a car to stay in Ghazoua?
To go out in the evening, yes, or a host who drives, because the last bus leaves town at 18:30. For a quiet week with dinners at the house, the daytime bus is enough.