ESSAOUIRA
City Guide & Photo Essay
Essaouira, Morocco
Inconspicuous whitewashed buildings with bright blue details, withstanding the constant wind on the shore of Atlantic ocean, thats Essaouira, pronounced “es-Sweera” in arabic. The windy city. Filled with the smell of spices, lacquered wood and sea. Unhurried and relaxed, where the warm wind ease the heat and blows grains of sand in between your teeth.
Perched on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, Essaouira’s white buildings shine bright in the sun. Surrounded by beige-stone city walls, it mixes influences from the Arabs, Africans, Romans and French. All blend together with the recent influx of surfers and 300 days of sunshine a year create this genuinely relaxed beach town. For us it was a refreshing three-night stop from busy Marrakech.
How to get there? - If you are going from Marrakech, the best way is to take the bus at Supratour Bus Station. The departing station from Marrakech is right by the train station (Gare de Marrakech). Get there 30min before the departure to get the tickets and maybe some snack. The journey takes 3 to 4 hours and there is one 20min stop halfway through. The buses are comfortable, air-conditioned and our was exactly on time. Not one minute late, which was quite surprising for me.
How many nights to spend? - anything between 1 to 3 nights. Its not hard to see everything in one day, but if you want to relax bit more 2 to 3 nights would be ideal.
The Guide
Honestly, there is not so much to do in Essaouira, so just pick a nice riad and fill your itinerary with great food and nice sights.
1/ CLIMB ESSAOUIRA’S RAMPARTS, where the medina meets the Atlantic Ocean. These city walls were built in the 1760s by a French military architect, Theodore Cornut, to protect the port from raiders. The design was inspired by the town of Saint Malo in France. The seafront ramparts are closed by skala, a type of defensive bastion. At one end is the Skala du Port, which is the gateway to the fishing port. And at the other end is the Skala du Ville, with 19 bronze cannons lined up along the sea wall. Go here for the great views across the medina and out to the ocean.
2/ VISIT THE PORT FOR THE CATCH OF THE DAY - Soon after its foundation in 1770 until the first half of the 19th century, the port was the most important trading port between Europe, Africa and the Americas. Also known as the ‘Port of Timbuktu’ as most of African products for export, like gold, spices and also slaves, ended up there. Today the port’s cargo is a bit smaller scale as the water isn’t deep enough for big modern ships, but there’s still plenty going around the harbour. Come in the afternoon (around 3pm), when the fishing boats are coming in and action your catch. The port is quite messy, with hoards of seagulls trying to get lucky, fish lined up on the random boxes covered with splash of salt. You can pick (and bargain) your fish and have it grilled at the stalls along the edge of the port. We were not that brave, so we just went into stalk and order from the menu. But the tiny little shrimps we got were one of the best we've eaten.
3/ SPEND A DAY ON THE BEACH - it is not your perfect beach, but it's nice to walk along, sing along and maybe take a camel ride. The water is cold (after all it is Atlantic Ocean) and the wind is strong, but if you don’t mind a light sandblasting you can spend a nice chill afternoon here.
4/ VISIT MEDINA - formerly known as Mogador, the medina in Essaouira has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its unusual mix of Moroccan and European styles. Unlike other medinas you wont feel lost in its frantic world right away. Its twist and turns are based on on a French-inspired grid design which makes it a lot easier to find your way around.
5/ THE SOUKS - even souks in Essaouira are fairly laid-back offering almost the same goods as bigger Marrakesh, but without its chaos and maze. If you like us, and you dont need all that hassle, when you want to buy something, buy it here. I also found the things being bit cheaper. (further tips on what to buy in the souks below)
6/ EAT YOUR WAY AROUND - when theres nothing left to do, eat. I just hope you like fish. Detailed food guide below.
7/ RENT A BIKE and pedal along the edge of the beach. You can follow the coastline for hours, watching goats and camels in the sand dunes.
8/ STAY IN A RIAD WITH ROOFTOP where you can drink freshly squeezed orange and rest.
Essaouira Food Guide
1/ Eat at the Port - In the port and the fish souk you can pick up freshly caught fish and seafood and have it cooked for you, washed down with a fresh orange juice. We came here for dinner at one of the stalks, randomly chosen.
2/ Triskala Café - modern Moroccan cuisine with a lot of vegetable options. Food was simple, yet full of taste, fresh and nicely balanced. Set in nice retro interior with cozy dim lights. Recommended for nice evening meal. Address: Rue Touahen Medina- tout pres de Sqala, Essaouira 44000 Morocco; Open: Mon-Sun 12:30-10:30pm
3/ La Table by Madada - for fancy Moroccan dinner head here. Address: 7 Rue Youssef El Fassi, Essaouira, Morocco; Open: Wed-Mon 7-11pm, Tue Closed
4/ Vague Bleu - Tiny place in a side alley run by three women. They only have 10 seats, benches with tables just for two plates. Menu is small but nicely put together and everything is as fresh as possible. Address: Rue Sidi Ali Ben Abdellah, Essaouira, Morocco; Open: Mon-Thur, Sat, Sun 11:00am - 3:00pm, 7-10pm; Friday closed
5/ Restaurant Nomade - another modern Moroccan Restaurant as I cannot see any reason why would you eat something else while you’re there anyway. Address: 10 Rue Khabbazine, Essaouira 44000, Morocco; Open: Mon-Sun 12:00am-12:00pm
. . . and there is plenty more to find.
What to Buy in the Souk ?
Wowen baskets - round ones on your shoulder, one for bread and one in your hand
Thuya Wood - round wood boxes from thuya wood. Or anything else. I haven't seen much of these in Marrakech, so rather buy them here.
Pottery - traditional moroccan tajine and some dark green plates.
Leather sandals or slippers - just find your size and bargain.
Hand woven berber rugs.
Lamps and lanterns.
Traditional Moroccan tea pots and glasses.
Spices and argan oil.
Taidekappeli is located on the island of Hirvensalo, far outside the city. Surrounded by spruces and pines, where the wooded hills rise from the flat fields.