Moonlight Yurt · Private Garden, AC & Breakfast

A Mongolian yurt on a raised oak platform, in its own walled garden among the argan trees on a hill above Sidi Kaouki. Inside there's a king bed, felt walls, heating for winter and air conditioning for summer, and a section of roof you can open to see the stars. Breakfast comes to the garden in a basket around nine. The beach is a 20-minute walk down the hill and Essaouira is 25 minutes by car. It sleeps 4, so it works for couples and for families.

The yurt

The Moonlight Yurt is a Mongolian yurt set on a 5.5-metre oak platform, in a private garden between the argan trees and our curved stone walls. It's part of Kaouki Hill, the place we built by hand on a hill above Sidi Kaouki, 25 minutes from Essaouira, with a view across the valley to the ocean in the distance. The yurt holds the bedroom: a king bed dressed in hotel-quality linen, with single beds or a baby cot added on request. Traditional felt lines the walls, keeping the temperature steady and the outside noise away, and there's heating for winter and air conditioning for summer. Part of the roof lifts off, so on a clear night you can lie in bed and look up at the stars.

The garden

You have the garden to yourselves. It's enclosed by timber fencing woven between the trees and by curved stone walls, and inside there's an outdoor hot-and-cold shower, sun loungers, a small koi pond and a traditional clay barbecue. The stone bathroom and the kitchen sit half outdoors, under a solid roof.

The kitchen

The kitchenette has a fridge, a sink with hot and cold water and a two-ring electric hob, and the cupboards have what you need to cook. When you arrive you'll find water, tea and coffee waiting, along with salt, pepper, spices, olive oil and our own argan oil.

Breakfast

Breakfast arrives around nine, in a guffa, the traditional basket. Inside you'll find sourdough and croissants from a bakery in Essaouira, eggs, and msemen with argan-flower honey from our neighbour. With them come amlou made with our own argan oil, local olive oil, fruit in season and coffee roasted in Marrakech. In the evening, if you'd like, we can prepare a barbecue basket with meat from the village butcher that we marinate ourselves, ready for you to grill in your garden.

Guest access

The yurt and its garden are all yours. You're welcome to explore the rest of Kaouki Hill too, including the shared gardens and the lounge under the pergola. There's free parking on site.

Good to know

Minimum stay is two nights, to make sure you really get to enjoy the place. Check-in is from 4 pm and check-out is by 11 am. The last two kilometres are a dirt track. Most cars manage it, but if yours sits low, message us before you set off. The village and the shops are a 45-minute walk, so bring a few things for the kitchen. We live on the hill with our two children, a dog and two cats.

The area

Kaouki Hill sits above Sidi Kaouki, 25 km south of Essaouira. The beach runs for ten kilometres between Cap Sim and the Sidi M'Barek waterfalls. From October to April there are waves for every level, and in summer the wind picks up and the kitesurfers arrive. You can ride horses or camels along the sand, and the fishermen sell their catch in the village. Essaouira is 25 minutes up the coast and Essaouira-Mogador airport is 20 minutes away. Marrakech is about three hours by car.

Getting here

We're 20 minutes from Essaouira-Mogador airport, so you can be at the door less than an hour after landing. Local buses run to Kaouki and stop at the bottom of our road, and taxis come out from Essaouira. The last two kilometres are a dirt track, but even a small rental car makes it up. For day trips, Marrakech is about three hours by car, and Agadir and Taghazout are about two hours south.