The newly launched Club des Douars is Essaouira’s first-ever private sports club, offering the perfect balance between sport and wellness in a refined, natural environment. Located just a two-minute stroll from Essaouira’s leading independent hotel Le Jardin des Douars, the club is home to four state-of-the-art padel courts, a professional academy, and regular tournaments, making it the go-to destination for both experienced players and beginners. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, padel offers the ideal opportunity to combine physical activity and shared pleasure. Rackets and balls are available on site, and lessons or supervised games can be organised upon request.
Members enjoy exclusive benefits, and padel courts can be easily booked through the Playtomic app or directly via the club. The club will soon expand to offer yoga, pilates, and other wellness activities, complementing the existing wellness services already available at the hotel. After a game or a class, guests can relax at the club’s sophisticated bar, which features alfresco seating, providing the perfect atmosphere to unwind and enjoy the laid-back chic vibe of the surroundings.
Wellness and relaxation are taken seriously at Le Jardin des Douars and facilities are open to hotel guests and visitors who can opt for a ‘Chill Pass’. The pass allows non hotel residents to enjoy the facilities in this unique setting. Guests have access to the two heated swimming pools, a deckchair reserved for the day, a towel, access to explore the botanical garden and access to purchase food and drinks from the bar, reserve spa treatments and book padel courts. The pass is reserved for guests having lunch on site.
Take a dip in the outdoor heated swimming pools, one for adults only and the other for families. The adults only jade swimming pool is surrounded by tropical trees and is ideal for those social media friendly snaps! Both pools have their own bar serving alfresco poolside drinks and snacks throughout the day.
Truly unwind in the candle-lit, eucalyptus-scented hammam and spa, another grown-up pleasure, where qualified therapists perform the traditional hammam ritual, and body and face spa treatments using heavenly argan oil.
Essaouira famously delivers over 320 days of sunshine a year. The coastal city has an arty, laid-back vibe which means it’s much loved by the chic and cool alike. It is the ideal winter sun destination without the crowds. There’s miles of sandy beach and some very stylish bars and restaurants. Jimi Hendrix visited Essaouira during its hippie heyday. More recently it doubled as the Game of Thrones fictional city of Astapor.
There are many wellness and leisure activities in Essaouira and Le Jardin des Douars can assist in setting up a variety throughout the year. These include camel rides on the beach which is a fun activity for the whole family. Because of its Atlantic setting, Essaouira is known as the ‘Wind City of Africa’ so it attracts the surfer and kite-flying crowd. Beginners are welcome and there are several surf schools along the beach. For quad biking on the dunes and beyond book with Palma Quad. The inviting sands of the beach offer both camel and horse riding, book with Equievasion. With a consistent breeze, kitesurfing in Essaouira is perfect, book with the Ion Club. Surfing in Essaouira is becoming increasingly popular. Book with Ion Club who state: “Around Essaouira you can surf on wild spots, without too many people, and have a feeling of freedom on the water that is hard to find anywhere else”. Golf fans are warmly welcomed at Golf de Mogador, designed by Gary Player. And finally visitors can embark on a walking tour with a local guide. Le Jardin des Douars can arrange a fascinating walking tour to see the Argan trees and production of the oil by a local female co-operative.
Built in the traditional Moroccan style, with curvy adobe-style walls, and situated in the Essaouira hills overlooking the Ksob River, Le Jardin des Douars is a secluded gem. Everything is designed to make life just that bit easier. Wake up in and explore a tropical botanical garden, Le Jardin des Douars is located within 7.5 acres of lush tropical planting. The newly launched Club des Douars offers a new level of leisure options for all visitors to this coastal Atlantic city. The new club is open daily between 9am and 8pm and the dress code is “sporty-chic and mostly white”.
Reaching Essaouira has never been easier either via direct flight from cities including London, Paris, Madrid and Brussels or a two hour thirty minute transfer from Marrakech.
