- Reliability
- Moderate
Overall2.7/10Slower internet than about 75% of cities
Good to know
Good to Know
- Essaouira has improved markedly and now offers usable café WiFi and decent mobile coverage, but internet is still positioned as secondary to lifestyle—prioritize lifestyle over raw speed here.
- Moroccan carriers block VoIP services (WhatsApp calls, FaceTime, Zoom) on mobile data at the carrier level; a VPN with obfuscated servers is essential for voice or video calling. WiFi calling may work without VPN.
- For remote work reliability, test your accommodation's WiFi on arrival; if weak, identify a nearby café with consistent connection or purchase a local SIM with generous data as a hotspot backup.
- Mobile data is extremely affordable (20-30 GB for 100-200 MAD / ~$11-21 USD per month), making a local SIM a practical failsafe even if you plan to use home WiFi.
- Power cuts are rare in Essaouira's city center but can occur during storms; plan contingency backup internet for critical work.
- Buying a physical SIM in the medina is faster and cheaper than pre-purchasing an e-SIM; passport registration is required.
Home Broadband
- Fiber Availability
- Available in most modern apartments and newer riads in central Essaouira; less common in older medina properties with thick traditional walls.
- DSL ADSL Availability
- Common fallback option in areas without fiber; typical speeds 10-20 Mbps.
- Fiber Typical Speeds Mbps
- 50-100 Mbps
- Reliability Notes
- Urban areas generally stable; outages rare but can occur during storms. Verify connection quality with host before booking longer stays.
Providers
Maroc Telecom (IAM)
- Market Share
- Largest carrier, ~45% market share; widest rural and remote coverage.
Fiber Plans Example
- Speed Mbps
- 50
- Billing Cycle
- monthly
- Regular Price
- MAD 349
- Promotional Price First Months
- MAD 249
Orange Maroc
- Market Share
- Strong competitor; good coverage in major cities.
ADSL Plans Example
- Price
- MAD 199
- Speed Mbps
- 20
- Billing Cycle
- monthly
Fiber Plans Example
- Speed Mbps
- 50
- Billing Cycle
- monthly
- Regular Price
- MAD 349
- Promotional Price First Months
- MAD 249
Inwi
- Market Share
- Third major carrier; good urban coverage but weaker in rural areas.
ADSL Plans Example
- Speed Mbps
- 20
- Billing Cycle
- monthly
- Regular Price
- MAD 199
- Promotional Price First Year
- MAD 149
e-SIM Options
Saily
- Operates On
- Maroc Telecom network
- Price USD
- 18.99
- Activation
- Pre-arrival setup via QR code; instant activation upon landing.
- Plan Example
- 10GB / 30 days
Holafly
- Operates On
- Local 4G networks
- Plan Type
- Unlimited data (throttled after heavy use)
- Activation
- Pre-arrival; covers Morocco specifically.
- Price Range USD
- Varies by duration
Airalo
- Operates On
- Orange Morocco network (most cases)
- Plan Type
- Data-only e-SIM
- Activation
- Pre-arrival; requires QR code setup.
Mobile Data Plans
Maroc Telecom
- Validity
- 30 days
- Plan Example
- 30 GB
- Price 30 Days
- MAD 200
Orange Maroc
- Validity
- 30 days
- Plan Example
- 20 GB
- Price 30 Days
- MAD 100
Inwi
- Validity
- 30 days
- Plan Example
- 20 GB
- Price 30 Days
- MAD 100
Cafes
Café Des Arts
- Type
- Café
- Wi-Fi Quality
- Reliable; popular spot for remote work
- Typical Speed Mbps
- 5-15
Taros
- Type
- Café/Restaurant
- Wi-Fi Quality
- Good
- Typical Speed Mbps
- 5-15
La Table by Madada
- Type
- Restaurant/Café
- Wi-Fi Quality
- Reliable
- Typical Speed Mbps
- 5-15
Coworking Spaces
Taghazout Bay Coworking
- Distance Km
- ~70 km north of Essaouira
- Typical Speed Mbps
- 50-100
- Note
- Day pass, weekly, and monthly membership options available; $8-15 USD per day.
Connectivity Reliability Tier
moderate
Connectivity Reliability Tier Rationale
Essaouira has solid 4G mobile coverage and WiFi availability in central accommodations and cafés (5-15 Mbps typical), but fiber broadband is less widespread than in major cities like Casablanca, and home WiFi can be inconsistent in traditional riads due to signal distribution challenges through thick walls.
Mobile Coverage
- Coverage Type
- 4G LTE ubiquitous in urban Essaouira; 5G rolling out in select areas.
- Typical Speeds 4g Mbps
- 15-50 Mbps in city
- Coverage Notes
- Essaouira has reliable 4G coverage across medina, port, and beach areas. All three carriers (Maroc Telecom, Orange, Inwi) perform well in the city proper.
SIM Cards Local
- Where To Buy
- Small independent phone shops on main streets within the medina, or at any carrier's official store in the ville nouvelle.
- Activation Cost
- MAD 20
- Ease Of Purchase
- Very easy; SIM cards sold in small shops (téléboutiques) throughout medina with signs reading 'CARTE SIM' or carrier logos displayed. Purchase takes 5-10 minutes; passport registration required.
- SIM Card Note
- Free SIM distribution sometimes available at airports; check on arrival.
General Availability
Most hotels, riads, restaurants, and cafés offer free WiFi; quality varies by property type. Modern boutique hotels tend to have better connectivity than traditional riads with thick earthen walls.
Essaouira Cafe Average Speed Mbps
5-15
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this connectivity & internet research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Essaouira
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.