A traditional Riad in the Medina of Morocco’s favourite beach town, Essaouira.
Riad in Essaouira
8 guests · 4 bedrooms · 5 baths
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Includes essentialsPool, Kitchen or Kitchenette, Internet / Wifi and more
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About this riad rental
5 Columns is in the ancient medina of Essaouira, Southern Morocco’s favourite beach town. A beautiful 200-year-old house in the authentic and friendly Chbanat area, famous for its textile and craft workshops, and near to the main gate of Bab Marrakech. The house is located at the back of the souks with lots of local shops nearby with helpful shopkeepers on hand to provide all you will need for your stay. Essaouira is a food-lovers heaven, with cafés and restaurants all within walking distance from the house, and the beach just a 10-minute stroll.
The Medina, an Unesco World Heritage Site, and the beautiful fishing harbour are great places to explore. There is a stunning sandy beach, with many beachside cafes and restaurants, and the bustling harbour, all within walking distance from the house. The beach is great for kite and windsurfing, along with camel and horse rides to the famous crumbling fort, Bordj El Berod. If you love fresh fish and seafood, the fish stalls by the harbour offer a wide variety of local produce. Simply choose your fresh fish from the stand and they will cook it and bring to your table. Unlike the big city that is Marrakech, Essaouira is laidback and timeless with sandy-coloured ramparts, whitewashed avenues, French-style piazzas, and a port full of azure blue fishing boats.
The house has been sympathetically restored, retaining all the original features such as the sandstone columns, thuya wood ceilings and the antique tiled floor of the inner courtyard. It is furnished with a mix of vintage & modern European furniture and art, with some beautiful Moroccan antiques and paintings by local artists, alongside works by contemporary British artists. Split over four floors, the house has two garden roof terraces; one with a kitchen and bar - great for outside dining and looking out across the medina rooftops, the other terrace is perfect for late afternoon sun. There are four double bedrooms, all with en-suite wet room bathrooms, and two cosy snug lounge rooms with large open fireplaces, and comfortable chairs. The bright covered courtyard dining area with a large dining table seating eight, is surrounded by mature plants, and is located next to the fully equipped kitchen, ideal for long lazy breakfasts, and dinner at home.
Our housekeeper Fatima will provide general cleaning during your stay and is also available to prepare food on request, at an additional cost. You will be met on arrival by our house manager Rachid, who will also be your point of contact during your stay. On your arrival, you will be taken on a short tour of the medina by Rachid, who can also help arrange excursions, taxis, or anything else you may need.
We offer a minimum 7-night stay, but shorter stays are available on request, and will be quoted based on the number of guests, and the number of nights. The minimum would be 3 nights for shorter stays.
Also available for location shoots on request.
Essaouira airport is a short 20-minute taxi ride to the house. You can also fly to Marrakech airport; the journey time is approximately 2.5 hours to Essaouira. We can arrange taxi transfers from all airports - costs will be provided upon request.
LOCATION: Essaouira, Morocco.
CLOSEST AIRPORT: Essaouira (20 mins drive); Marrakech (2.5hrs drive).
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Essaouira has a pleasant temperature all year round with high temperatures from early April, through to late November.
POPULAR EVENTS: The Gnaoua World Music Festival, Essaouira's biggest annual event, is held for three days, every June - early booking is recommended.
ADDRESS: 90, Rue Moulay Ismail, Medina, Essaouira, Morocco.
The Medina, an Unesco World Heritage Site, and the beautiful fishing harbour are great places to explore. There is a stunning sandy beach, with many beachside cafes and restaurants, and the bustling harbour, all within walking distance from the house. The beach is great for kite and windsurfing, along with camel and horse rides to the famous crumbling fort, Bordj El Berod. If you love fresh fish and seafood, the fish stalls by the harbour offer a wide variety of local produce. Simply choose your fresh fish from the stand and they will cook it and bring to your table. Unlike the big city that is Marrakech, Essaouira is laidback and timeless with sandy-coloured ramparts, whitewashed avenues, French-style piazzas, and a port full of azure blue fishing boats.
The house has been sympathetically restored, retaining all the original features such as the sandstone columns, thuya wood ceilings and the antique tiled floor of the inner courtyard. It is furnished with a mix of vintage & modern European furniture and art, with some beautiful Moroccan antiques and paintings by local artists, alongside works by contemporary British artists. Split over four floors, the house has two garden roof terraces; one with a kitchen and bar - great for outside dining and looking out across the medina rooftops, the other terrace is perfect for late afternoon sun. There are four double bedrooms, all with en-suite wet room bathrooms, and two cosy snug lounge rooms with large open fireplaces, and comfortable chairs. The bright covered courtyard dining area with a large dining table seating eight, is surrounded by mature plants, and is located next to the fully equipped kitchen, ideal for long lazy breakfasts, and dinner at home.
Our housekeeper Fatima will provide general cleaning during your stay and is also available to prepare food on request, at an additional cost. You will be met on arrival by our house manager Rachid, who will also be your point of contact during your stay. On your arrival, you will be taken on a short tour of the medina by Rachid, who can also help arrange excursions, taxis, or anything else you may need.
We offer a minimum 7-night stay, but shorter stays are available on request, and will be quoted based on the number of guests, and the number of nights. The minimum would be 3 nights for shorter stays.
Also available for location shoots on request.
Essaouira airport is a short 20-minute taxi ride to the house. You can also fly to Marrakech airport; the journey time is approximately 2.5 hours to Essaouira. We can arrange taxi transfers from all airports - costs will be provided upon request.
LOCATION: Essaouira, Morocco.
CLOSEST AIRPORT: Essaouira (20 mins drive); Marrakech (2.5hrs drive).
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Essaouira has a pleasant temperature all year round with high temperatures from early April, through to late November.
POPULAR EVENTS: The Gnaoua World Music Festival, Essaouira's biggest annual event, is held for three days, every June - early booking is recommended.
ADDRESS: 90, Rue Moulay Ismail, Medina, Essaouira, Morocco.
Amenities
Pool
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Fireplace
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
Family friendly
Map of Essaouira
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Reviews
10.0
Lisa the house owner organised our airport transfer from Marrakesh to Essaouira (cheaper than general internet quoted private transfer prices). The journey is straightforward with potential breaks enroute if required.
Rachid the in-situ property manager met us at the drop off point outside the Medina and accompanied us to the Riad. He ensured we could get our bearings and which routes to get around the Medina. We had ordered dinner for our arrival and Fatima the house keeper was there with a delicious dinner and beautifully laid table. It was our best meal during our stay. There are 4 double rooms to choose from, all with a slightly different feel. The outside roof top is sheltered from the wind and a lovely space to sunbathe or sit in the shade. All mod cons provided and everything is to the highest quality. There were board games books and puzzles available (we loved LINKEE). There is a pair of nesting House Buntings who come to roost every evening in the eves beside the open central courtyard, which we loved. Fatima came each morning and cleaned up our dishes from breakfast. The location is great since it is away from the hustle and bustle of the main Souk but still very easy to reach, and is next to one of the citadel gates to be able to access the beach and other areas. We are a family of 4 so everyone got their own room and it felt very spacious. Lots of spots to ‘chill’ although WIFI signal only strong by receiver on the first floor.
10.0
We had the most amazing stay for New Year at Lisa's riad. The place was spotless and the added bonus of Fatima coming in daily was brilliant. The beds were extremely comfortable and we all slept so well, even during the call to prayer! Well equipped kitchen and lots of hot water. Thank you Lisa!
10.0
Beautiful house with nice outdoor areas and really comfy beds! Great showers with lots of hot water and good pressure. In a great location and the house manager meets you on arrival and gives you a quick and very helpful orientation to the medina. Lisa is quick to answer any questions and recomends some great places to eat. Recommend.
10.0
We spend a week in Lisa Riad.
It’s a amazing riad with 4 rooms , 4 bedrooms with toilet and a separate toilet .
The street is quiet and very close to the Medina Center .
We asked for the breakfast ( very typical Morocco ) and it was very good .
Perfect place to be if you want to visit Essaouira
10.0
My partner and I stayed at Lisa’s property in October. The property is exactly as billed on the website and just as quirky and stylish as we hoped. As there were only two of us, we didn’t take advantage of the space the property affords for groups/larger families. We would come back with friends without hesitation.
The liaison with Lisa was prompt and informative, and we were very appreciative of her arranging taxis to and from the airport, and a wonderful welcome to the house/medina by Rashid and her housekeeper, Fatima. Everyone was so friendly and helpful.
Whilst Essaouira is more relaxed than Marrakesh, we were still grateful for this handholding in our first few hours.
I would thoroughly recommend this property and Essaouira is a great place to chill and experience a more relaxed Moroccan culture than Marrakech.
Thanks Lisa and team!
Hayley and John
10.0
We spent a lovely family week exploring Essaouira and enjoying the riad.
Everything worked smoothly, Famima who came every day to do the housekeeping was a delight, couldn't have asked for anything more.
Recommended :)
10.0
We all loved Essaouira and we loved this Riad. Rachid was there to meet us at the appointed time and gave us a lovely warm welcome.
The house is absolutely beautiful - the use of space, light, original features, furniture, set furnishings and art all work to make you feel like you are literally living in an interiors magazine.
We spent many hours as a family around the table (every bit as gorgeous as it looks in the photos), all slept well, enjoyed cooking in the kitchen, which has everything you could need and the (teenage) boys were happy to find there was good wifi.
The outside area is pretty private and we loved the bar area, which we stocked up from the local Carrefour.
It goes without saying that the property was immaculate and Fatima did a great job of tidying round us every day.
Fatima also cooked for us one night - which she dropped off at an agreed time. It was delicious and enough for the whole street. Her Lemon Tart was AMAZIng. And I don't even like lemon tart!! (The cost was 150DH which is about £12. Well worth every penny)
Lisa is really quick to get back to you about any queries
and gave us some wonderful shopping and eating tips. In fact she cost us a fortune. We took an empty suitcase and it almost wasn't enough!
We would definitely visit Essaouira again and definitely stay here. It's a little oasis in a crazy place.
Thank you very much Lisa x
10.0
Beautiful riad ! Great communication with the owner Lisa , highly recommend
10.0
Dear Lisa,
thank you very much for our great stay in your beautyful riad. Everything was organized perdectly, many thanks to Fatima and Rachid, who both did a great job with cooking delicious morocan food and with a perfect housekeeping. We had a very relaxed time (not so dificult in this very special designed ambiance :) )We enjoyed everything: house, sun, wind, ocean, people, food, shops, atmosphere. We´ll come back, so long, anne
10.0
Spent a wonderful long weekend with friends at this beautiful riad - hidden away behind a grey door, it was like walking into another world. As we were arriving in the evening, we had arranged with the owner (Lisa) for the maid to prepare dinner for us, which was waiting for us on arrival. A gorgeous tagine with salads and bread, stunningly laid out on the central dining table. Absolutely delicious and welcome after our trip, all set within the 5 columns and the open-plan dining/kitchen area, with an open space above us leading to the top atrium. Decor is a mixture of Moroccan/African and vintage 60s/70s and works really well. The impression was of space and light, with 2 bedrooms on the first floor (one of which was mine - really comfortable bed and lovely accents of colour and soft lighting. Then stairs leading up to the main sun terrace, and then further stairs leading up to the top smaller terrace and the final bedroom. Everything was spotlessly clean and it was really quiet at night, so slept amazingly well (on a very comfortable bed I should add).
Being right in the middle of the medina was exciting, because as soon as you walked out of the front door, you were right in the heart of the bustle of daily life. A very short walk to the main shopping area, we felt very safe as people there seemed relaxed and friendly - we managed to get lost a few times, and people were more than happy to steer us back in the right direction (although it was fun getting lost down the narrow streets as you would discover something new). The owner recommended restaurants for dinner for the length of our stay and they were all spot on - when you only have a few days, it is so worth not wandering around not knowing where is good or not, so that was a bonus. She also recommended areas to shop which was really useful. Plus we spent a lovely sunny day at a gorgeous spa retreat recommended by her as well, where we sunbathed and had a delicious brunch - and it was so reasonable! The beach is also only a short walk away, although the day we went down there, the weather was a bit hit and miss, but there are a few beach bars which would be lovely to hang out in the sunshine.
It was my first trip to Morocco and I loved it - Essaouira is such an interesting place, and I feel I only scratched the surface, so would love to return and would definitely stay at 5 Columns again. Cannot recommend it and the personal service we received highly enough. Thank you Lisa :)
10.0
My wife and I came with two children and our au pair. This house made what would be a good holiday into a great vacation.
The house is a cool renovation of a peroid Moroccan riad. Not wanting to sound clichéd but the historic elements have been blended superbly with modern European furniture.
The first floor centres round a light filled balcony looking over the ground floor and a long wooden table. The lighting after dark is exquisite and the ambience enchanting. Their are two further floors centred around the patios with two further bedrooms
Having tons of space to move around the kids loved playing at home. Also given that the rooms are over four floors the bedrooms on the upper levels have an element of separation and privacy too. The au pair loved that point and I would expect it to work equally well with couples or families with teenage kids who require a little more distance.
The art work around the house was cool - I loved the hip prints and spent the first few days inspired to pinch some of the themes for my own home.
The service was great too. We went over Ramadam and Lisa helped organise some beautiful bottles of wine for the house along with transfers and a plethora of recommendations of where to eat and visit. We also used on three occasions the dinner services organised by the house keeper. Tasty tajines with sides of salads and aubergine were brought round at an agreed time. It was half way between take away and a delivered banquet.
Lisa (the owner) and Rachid (the house manager) are alway on call and the cleaner was there every day but was very discrete. The taxi firm which Lisa recommends was always punctilious and the owner speaks fluent English.
Staying in Essouira is a really interesting with many great beaches and choosing this place highly recommended
5.0
An authentic, luxury house in a great part of the medina of Essaouira. All (double) rooms are beautifully decorated, clean and highly stylish down to the owner being an interior designer and you can certainly tell by the quality of decor and interesting pieces dotted around.
There's plenty of space in this Riad with two sun terraces on the upper levels ensuring total privacy and tranquility.
If your looking for a spacious, authentic yet modern Riad experience to share with friends and/or with family then 5 columns is the perfect choice.
5.0
You can warm your bones on the roof as is a great suntrap ,
The kitchen perfect for those who like to cook ,
Had no problem sleeping in the comfortable beds ,
Beautifully dressed with lovely pieces of art,
I feel very at home there
Recommend the Moroccan food cooked by Fatima
5.0
The house is simply amazing and, I’ve been told, one of the best in Essaouria. It is modern, comfortable and stylish as well as unmistakably Moroccan. The location was spot on. The house is located within the heart of Medina, which in our view was the best place to be situated. A few minutes down a couple of winding alleyways brings you to the centre of the Medina where there are many shops and restaurants – staying in the Medina in a 5* riad was more of an exciting experience for us than staying in one of the soulless chain hotels along the sea front.
The owners, Rachid and Latifa were very accomodating and arranged everything from airport transfers to dinner on arrival to recommending the best restaurants and things to do, all of which helped to make our holiday go smoothly. Dinner on arrival was perfect as it meant we didn’t have to find somewhere to eat whilst dazed and confused after a long day travelling. As was Rachid’s tour of the Medina, which greatly helped us to find our bearings.
We loved Essaouria and can’t wait to return. The locals were so friendly. We shall be returning to Five Columns.
FAQs
How much does this riad cost compared to others in Essaouira?
The average price for a rental in Essaouira is R 1,018 per night. This rental is R 2,019 above the average.
Is parking included with this riad?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at A traditional Riad in the Medina of Morocco’s favourite beach town, Essaouira.. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this riad?
Yes, a swimming pool is available for use at A traditional Riad in the Medina of Morocco’s favourite beach town, Essaouira.. Enjoy the water!
Is A traditional Riad in the Medina of Morocco’s favourite beach town, Essaouira. pet friendly?
Unfortunately, this riad is not pet-friendly. Try searching again and filter for "Pets Allowed"
What amenities are available at A traditional Riad in the Medina of Morocco’s favourite beach town, Essaouira.?
We found 8 amenities for this rental. This includes pool, kitchen or kitchenette, internet / wifi, fireplace, and parking.
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