An Escape to Essaouira

Here is truly a piece of paradise on Earth! I spent this past weekend soaking up the sun, sitting by the water, and wandering around the streets of Essaouira – one of the most wonderful places I’ve ever traveled to. I had heard from many people that Essaouira was a hippie, beach-lovers dream, and the perfect place to unwind. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, filming location for Game of Thrones, and the inspiration for Jimi Hendrix’s music, I knew it had to be one of my first weekend trips from Marrakech.

I booked myself the earliest bus possible on Saturday morning so that I could spend the maximum amount of time in Essaouira. It was an easy bus ride, with a brief stop to see the famous argan trees filled with goats! Supposedly this is a natural phenomenon as the goats are attracted to the fruit produced by the trees… however something has me thinking it is a bit more curated as a tourist attraction now 🙂 Either way it was still a very unique sight to see.

The moment I stepped off the bus in Essaouira I could immediately see, smell, hear, and feel a difference from Marrakech. The buildings were a beautiful white and blue, you could smell the salt water from the ocean, and hear the seagulls by the beach. The energy felt noticeably different than the hustle and bustle of Marrakech; it was much more calming, quiet, and peaceful. I headed to La Smala, which was an EXCELLENT hostel recommendation. Not only was in interior exceptionally well decorated to fit the beachy vibes, but the rooftop had a stunning, sunny view of the water.

I started my exploring by wandering around Skala du Ville. For context, Essaouira is surrounded by a seafront fortress built by the Portuguese in the 1700s. The ground level is filled with little shops that used to be military storage areas, and the top level still contains huge defensive cannons and amazing views of Île de Mogador. Walking on the ramparts was my first real taste of being by the ocean in Morocco and it was much needed! The air was cleaner, the sun felt warmer, and the area wasn’t congested with crowds of people. The atmosphere was perfectly laidback, with every visitor and local adopting a common attitude of nonchalance.

From there I set out to find lunch in the Medina. The consistent whitewashed buildings with blue doors, shutters, and décor made me feel like I was walking around an island somewhere off the coast of Greece. I learned that the mixture of majorelle, cerulean, and ultramarine blue tints actually comes the pigment of murex mollusks shells harvested in the surrounding Purple Islands of Morocco. This region has been using a range of indigo, royal blue, and purple hues for over 3000 years as seen throughout the city. As a lover of the color blue, the aesthetic of Essaouira scratched the perfect spot in my brain.

As I’ve learned in Marrakech, when looking for food AND views – you have to look up! I spotted a potentially interesting rooftop and wandered up to it. I stumbled into Mega Loft one of my favorite spots I’ve found! The first two floors were impeccably decorated with a vintage Moroccan art style, and the rooftop was completely covered in carpets and pillows. It was the PERFECT place to relax in the sun and I enjoyed a delicious chicken pané while overlooking the Essaouira Medina.

I think I spent the next three hours just sitting on the rocks by the water and listening to music. This was the highlight of my whole weekend! There are few things that make me happier than sitting by water, people watching, listening to my favorite playlists, and just soaking in the scenery around me. I didn’t realize how much I missed being by the water, so I took advantage of every second I was here in Essaouira.

Although I prefer to keep a significant distance between me and any type of birds, I knew that I had to brave through the seagulls to explore the famous fishing port of Essaouira. At the entrance is Skala du Port, an iconic photo spot. The light bricks contrast beautifully with the blue water, and the even bluer snail-pigmented boats.

I wandered further into the fishing port which was lined with fresh seafood stands and filled with all the real smell, noise, and bustle of a fish market! What felt like hundreds of seagulls were circling the area, screeching at people, and hunting for unattended seafood to steal. Fisherman were running around between boats and stands with nets and freshly caught fish. While the atmosphere was quite loud and chaotic, it was exhilarating to walk through and experience a working fishing auction amongst the locals.

After a long day of travel and sightseeing, I set out to stake out a rooftop table for dinner and the sunset. My coworkers had recommended Taros, a restaurant/bar with live music and a great view of the ocean. While watching the sunset and enjoying a glass of wine, I tried their fish and chips which were delicious! I hadn’t had seafood in forever and knowing that it had come from the port I just visited made it all the more enjoyable. Just as I was starting to wish that my friends from back home were here to enjoy such a fun restaurant with me, I started chatting with another girl nearby who was also from Marrakech! We spent the rest of the evening hanging out, and it was a wonderful ending to such a fun day.

The next morning, I woke up just as the sun was rising since I wanted to get out by the water again and enjoy the peace and quiet alone. As I suspected, I was the only person on the beach with the exception of a few fishermen out for an early catch. Additionally, the tide was very low, so I wandered further out on the rocks and sat as the sun rose behind me. It was such a peaceful, quiet morning that really set the tone for the rest of my day in Essaouira!

For coffee and breakfast, I ate at Mandala Society, a plastic and meat free, organic, locally sourced cafe. Since being abroad, the #1 thing I’ve been craving is a good breakfast sandwich, so I was so happy to see one on the menu here. It was delicious and I’m always more than happy to support businesses founded on fair trade and sustainability like Mandala Society.

I dedicated the rest of my day to walking around the Essaouira Medina exploring the winding streets and shops. Of course, I couldn’t leave without a few pieces of art to remember Essaouira by, so I haggled for a beautiful handmade bracelet and a small watercolor painting of Skala du Port. I wandered into Galerie la Kasbah, a 18^th century riad that is now restored into a beautiful art gallery. There were over four floors of incredible pieces of art including paintings, sculptures, rugs, books, pottery armoires, plants, tiles, tables, and cutlery. It was fascinating to see such a unique collection of art from around the world and it made it even better that I had the whole place to myself!

In the afternoon, I had lunch at Il Mare, a beautiful seafood restaurant right on the coast. This was the perfect spot to relax at before the bus ride back. The friend I made the previous night ended up joining me for lunch as well and we both headed back to Marrakech together that evening! It was so nice to have some company in the midst of being fairly alone the whole weekend, and I’m grateful to now have another friend to hang out with in Marrakech.

While my time in Essaouira was actually quite short, it felt like time had slowed down over those two days. Here was much needed time to relax, recenter myself, and just enjoy the beauty and atmosphere of Morocco’s coast. I’m so grateful to have been able to experience another side of Morocco, which now gives me something to compare to the busy, red city of Marrakech. I was sad to leave, and I think I would’ve booked another night at La Smala if I could. But I’m very confident that this won’t be my last time in Essaouira and I’m already thoroughly looking forward to going back!