About Sidi Kaouki

Sidi Kaouki is a small Berber village on the Atlantic coast. It is located 150 km north from Agadir, 150 km west from Marrakech and 25 km south from Essaouira.

A local saint, called Kaouki, lived here in the 19th century and the village was named after him. He was known for his healing powers. His tomb is placed in an old building close to the sea called the Marabout and it became a place of pilgrimage.

Behind the old Marabout, between the vast beach and the forest, lies a small village of shepherds and fishermen. Most houses are built of stones in the characteristic Berber style: very thick stone walls and no windows.

Life here is very quiet and it seems as if time stands still. People live close to nature and their animals and they do not need much modern comfort.

Sidi Kaouki has a magnificent and almost empty beach. The beach is perfect for all kinds of excursions either on horseback, camel, quad or trekking.

The epic film “Alexander” was shot only 10 km south of Sidi Kaouki in a savage environment close to the ocean.

Many surfers come to Sidi Kaouki to practise surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing as the waves and the wind are famous among surfers. It is possible to rent equipment for surfing in Sidi Kaouki and to have surfing lessons.

Each year a spectacular, traditional equestrian performance takes place in the beach in Sidi Kaouki and in a town nearby called Had Dra. It is the “Fantasia”and it is an old Moroccan folklore tradition and celebration.

It consists of a group of horse riders dressed up in traditional clothes and with old, real gunpowder guns. The horses are decorated with tassels and sequins and are very impressive. They form a line very close to each other. The difficulty of the performance is synchronization during the acceleration of speed and firing the guns so that only one single shot is heard. The performance is inspired by historical wartime when Berbers and desert people were fighting.　 The climate of Sidi Kaouki is good. There is usually a fresh wind blowing and sunny days, but the winter can, however, be somewhat cold especially in the night. Temperatures in the summer is between 25-35 degrees and in the winter between 15-25 degrees in the daytime.

Getting to Sidi Kaouki from Essaouira is very easy. One can use the local bus or go by taxi. The trip costs 1 euro by bus and 10 euros by taxi.

Ranch d’Essaouira is situated in the middle of Sidi Kaouki very close to the Atlantic Ocean.