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The magic of Essaouira comes from its artistic influence. The tranquillity and the splendid light have always attracted and inspired artists. The town where Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley liked to hang out is a perfect spot to unwind, eat great seafood and absorb the mellow scene.Essaouira is one of North Africa's most beautiful cities and offers a mixture of Portuguese, French, and Berber architecture.
Location:
City in Morocco with 50,000 inhabitants. Essaouira is situated on the Atlantic Sea, in the middle of Morocco.
General Information:
Essaouira stands on a vast bay sweeping south with miles of superb sandy beach and wooded hills dominating the skyline to the east. The medina with its honeycomb of souks lends a potent mystique to the town.
Probably the best known coastal tourist town of Morocco, Essaouira is nevertheless called the windy city and is more of a town on the coast than a beach resort. The fortified harbour is a hive of activity with fishing nets laid out on the quayside, boats unloading their catches, fish auctions and stalls serving seafood sizzling on grills.
Beaches:
The apparently endless beaches are great for a (short) dip – don’t forget this is the Atlantic – or for a long walk
Local Market:
Its souks (markets) are friendlier, cheaper and often better quality than those of Marrakech or Agadir – especially for wooden furniture and inlay products such as backgammon sets.
Attractions:
Just offshore lie the purple islets, so-called because of the dye
extracted by the Romans from ‘murex’ shells; they now harbour Eleonora’s falcons, egrets and other birdlife, which you can observe from a boat-trip (you’ll need a permit, obtained locally)
Events:
also has an excellent music festival in summer, with Gnaoua and other tribal and folk performers.
Activities:
Essaouira is well-known in the windsurfing fraternity for its strong winds and long sandy beach; or, if this is too passé for you, try kite-surfing
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