Question 1

Can you visit the Mogador Islands?

Accepted Answer

Landing on the Mogador Islands is restricted and requires official authorization, which is rarely granted, because the archipelago is a protected nature reserve and Eleonora's falcon breeding site. Most visitors view the islands from Essaouira's sea ramparts and beach or take a boat trip that circles the archipelago without landing.

Question 2

Why are they called the Îles Purpuraires (Purple Islands)?

Accepted Answer

The name comes from the ancient Tyrian-purple dye industry established here around the end of the 1st century BC by the Mauretanian king Juba II, who processed the murex and purpura shellfish found in the rocks to make the prized purple used in Roman garments. The islands are also called the Purple Islands after this dye.

Question 3

What wildlife lives on the Mogador Islands?

Accepted Answer

The islands host the only breeding colony of Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae) outside the Mediterranean, with around 900 pairs recorded in a 2014 census, making it one of the densest colonies of the species. Gulls and other seabirds also nest here, which is why the archipelago is a protected nature reserve and Important Bird Area.

Question 4

Where is the best place to see the Mogador Islands?

Accepted Answer

The islands are clearly visible from Essaouira's sea-facing Skala ramparts and from the long main beach, both a short walk from the medina. In late summer and autumn the Eleonora's falcons are best seen with binoculars in the early-evening light as they hunt over the dunes south of the Oued Ksob.

Mogador Islands (Îles Purpuraires)

Mogador Islands (Îles Purpuraires)

Location

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