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The Sunday Market in Had Draa & Local Food Tasting
4.9
26 Ratings
Essaouira
Explore Had Draa’s Sunday Market: Taste local foods, experience rural Moroccan life, and enjoy fresh grilled dromedary with traditional mint tea.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Essaouira - Sunday market
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Snacks
- Tea and coffee
Additional Information
The largest rural market in the Essaouira region takes place every Sunday in Had Draa located 30 km up the road towards Marrakech. The farmers of the region travel there by donkey to offer their crops, animals, and crafts, and to also do their weekly shopping. The gathering at Had Draa is mainly attended by men although everyone socializes, chats over tea with friends, and exchanges news in cafés or under tents. The market gives an authentic insight into daily lives in the Moroccan countryside. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, and spices release their plethora of aromas while the market showcases everything needed to live and work. We sample and taste a variety of foodstuffs. Next door are many cafes with open grills which presents us with the unique opportunity to try fresh grilled dromedary, served along with warm bread, olive and Argan oil, as well as traditional mint tea. HIGHLIGHTS ! Discovering rural life and taste local food.
Location
G66M+G9X
Rue Mohamed El Qorry
Next to the main door (the arch)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(26 Ratings)
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Kenneth_b
Jul 9, 2024
Great Experience!! - We were picked on time by the guide and driver who drove us to the market. The market was quite busy full of locals selling their wares. It was a really good experience and quite humbling too, this was how the locals lived and bought the food etc. We were very impressed by the guide who was very knowledgeable and spoke very good English. The food tasting was very good, food was purchased as we explored the market and then prepared for us to eat at the end of the tour.
We would definitely recommend this experience.
Review provided by Viator
Catherine
May 25, 2024
An unforgettable moment - A unique and enriching experience with our two guides who were able to guide us and inform us with professionalism in the mazes of this almost tourist-free market where you have to be discreet. . In addition to the interest in sharing with the participants of this outing and our guides, this visit allows us to discover authentic Morocco on the fringes of the medina. The small snack shared together with local specialties is a delicious moment on all levels.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marcus
Mar 4, 2024
Had Dra - amazing experience 😊 - I have been before, and still thoroughly love this totally captivating authentic local farmer’s market. I arrived before sunrise and started at the far end of the market to experience all the animal trading, mainly cattle, but also horses, goats, poultry and camels. Wandering through the rest of the market it is split into house building material, spices, vegetables, homeware, etc, as well as hot tea sellers and food being cooked in hot coals. It is like stepping back in time.
I took a ‘taxi collective’, 10 dirham each way from the grand taxi station on Ave 2 Mars in Essaouira. It took 5 minutes for the taxi to fill up before taking 25 minutes to get to Had Dra, and be dropped by the post office. The return taxi is on the other side of the road. Highly recommend, and worth getting there early.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Resort64044124492
Feb 19, 2024
Visit souk had draa - The guide was very smiling and very kind. We discovered lots of things. Great time ! The souk is large and we felt well accompanied...
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Victoria_n
Oct 16, 2023
Our second tour with... - Our second tour with Naima this trip - highly recommend! Interesting to see a large local market and how the community operates. Naima was a great guide - very engaging and knowledgeable. She took great care of the group and would recommend!
Only improvement to provide cold water, especially on hotter days.
Review provided by Viator
395hansl
Sep 17, 2023
Authentic Moroccan experience - This excursion is a great opportunity to experience an authentic Moroccan market. Naima is a super guide and she showed and explained the market and the farmer's life. Great to meet some of the market people, get some demos and taste the great food!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Donna_h
Dec 5, 2022
Don't miss this experience. - Don't miss this experience! A sensory overload that I would not have attempted on my own. Masses of people, carts, tents, livestock, spices, foods, etc... Claudia, our guide, definitely knows her way through the market and we stopped at various stalls for tastes of prickly pear(delicious), cookies, nuts, and the like(yummy), and I may be forgetting a stop. We walked as she bought vegetables and meat for our lunch, and we went under a tent to eat and drink tea. I wasn't keen on eating camel, though I did try a piece- and then another. Well seasoned and very tasty. We were discouraged from taking pictures though, which I found a bit disappointing. A very memorable tour, with or without pictures.
Review provided by Viator
512mail
Jan 3, 2020
Wonderful Day! - We had an amazing day visiting the Berber Market - a great way to experience the real Morocco and then trips to the Oasis and Moulay Bouzektoun.
Our guide Naima was fantastic - so friendly and knowledgeable. Because of her familiarity with the market we were able to taste foods and sample produce that just wouldn't have been possible without her. We never felt rushed or pampered - just well looked after.
Communication with Claudia was great and transport comfortable.
Wonderful day & great value for money.
We'd highly recommend both the company and this excursion.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pclark768
May 21, 2023
Had Draa Sunday market - The market is truly local, thousands of Moroccan men but no Moroccan women, and in the 2 hours we were there saw less than 10 Europeans. You can buy any part of a animal there, and animal welfare is very different to ours. If you are squeamish definitely don’t go. If you want the real flavour of Morocco go. But beware of pick pockets, my wife had a bag stolen from inside her rucksack.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Resort54869632207
Aug 13, 2024
JUST A PLACE TO SLEEP - The place was very neat and spacious. The tv wouldn't come on and showed no signal. I jumped out if bed to point the remote to the sensor but nothing. I had drinks in fridge but later I realized that rhe fridge temperature is not cold. I then put my hand in to make sure but not it was room temperature. I then just climbed into bed and felt chilly. I had no idea how the aircon worked as there were no remote to use for the aircon. I noticed that when i switched on the bathroom light something that sounded like an aircon came on but the room stayed cold. When u switch light off the sound goes off. What helped me was the electric blanket. So i didn't want to disturb Annebella again so I left and just slept. At least i had a roof over my head, thank God.
Thank you for the phone charger i really appreciated that.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
