Just off the coast lies the Île de Mogador, which is actually two islands and several tiny islets. They are also known as the famed Îles Purpuraires (Purple Isles) of antiquity: the Romans used the purple dye extracted from molluscs plucked from the bay to dye their imperial togas. The uninhabited islands are a protected sanctuary for Eleonora's falcons, which can be easily seen through binoculars from Essaouira beach – you can't land on the islands without special permission.
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