From Marrakech to Essaouira: a change of scenery!

After 5 days of family celebration in Marrakech, we decided to leave early in the morning to Essaouira. We rented a small Hyundai i10 from a company located in Gueliz, the price was 20€/day!

Bags thrown into the trunk, road maps in the glove box, loaded Nikon and GoPro cameras… We set off for 4 days of discovery in a region that was completely unknown to us.

We drove 1h15 on the highway to the outskirts of Chichaoua, then 1h45 by road to Essaouira. The arrival is simply magnificent… Just around a bend on a hill we came across a magnificent viewpoint overlooking Essouira and the Atlantic Ocean…. Out of sight!

As for accommodation, a friend recommended that we go to Badia, one of her friends who rents the ground floor of her house (25€/night), located a ten-minute walk from the ramparts of the medina and «Bab Marrakech», one of its main entrances.

Once all the things were set up in the apartment, we went for a walk in the alleys of the medina. What a contrast to Marrakech… I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to feel the sweet, iodized air from the sea that fills the entire city. The pigeons of the red city give way to seagulls and other gulls that form, in thousands, a veritable ballet in the sky. The ochre-colored walls are transformed into walls of brilliant white.

So we returned through the «Bab Marrakech» door that overlooks one of the main streets of the medina. There you will find all kinds of shops: herbalists, cooperatives of argan oil (more authentic outside Essaouira), workshops of marquetry in Thuya (wood worked in Essaouira), art galleries, bookshops and traditional merchants. As we snuck along the walls we came across a small group of gnaoua musicians. Originaries from sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana and Nigeria), the gnaoua sing religious poems in Arabic dialect mixed with expressions of their native language. The gnaoui ceremony has the purpose of chasing away the djinns, these evil spirits that can prey on any Muslim. The rhythmic beat of the music leads the dancers into a state of trance. Every year, a music festival takes place in Essaouira in June and it seems it is a must-see!!

The merchants and locals are very welcoming and helpful; the atmosphere is completely less crowded than in the souks of Marrakech (whether touristy or not). While we were wandering around the jewelry district, a woman came up to talk to us for about ten minutes and gave us some great tips on how to make the most of the city. As for safety, just avoid hanging around the Mellah neighborhood where drug addicts and thieves live; otherwise the rest of the city is really quiet; there is really no risk whatsoever.

Hunger is starting to set in, time to head to the port and mandatory stop at the fish market! You are in Essaouira! If there is one place where you can taste the sea products, it is here, and without breaking the bank (we’ll get back to that)! The port is impressive, authentic; there are no words to describe the scenery… A real postcard where the BLU is omnipresent… There are dozens of fishing boats, and hundreds of boats all piled up on the quays. The sailors clean their boats, others transport their catch of the day to the fish market, the seagulls feast on the remains of the fish… That’s just a small part; you have to see it with your own eyes; you no longer believe you are in Morocco…

A little further on we meet a Breton (and there are a lot of them in Essaouira!) who recommends some places to enjoy a delicious fish stew, lobster, and other crustaceans that will make even the most hungry person salivate. He advises us to have lunch in one of the many «barques» located a dozen meters from the port; he assures us that the quality is guaranteed! Head to the «Finistère» barque to have a meal with a plate filled with fish, seafood, and crustaceans… a real treat! For the equivalent of 15€ we broke our backs for 3 hours, including starters and drinks!

This is followed by a digestive walk through the ramparts, which offer an exceptional view of the ocean. The sea is turbulent and the waves crash against the fortress, a spectacle!

Next article: A getaway along the Atlantic coast, 80km from Essaouira. Destination the end of the world: Tadefna

Thibault