Installed on its Atlantic coast, Essaouira contains everything a between its fishing port, its cradled in the ramparts of the city, its riads, craft shops, art galleries, a huge beach beaten by Medina winds and extraordinary light. The perfect place for an exotic break, accessible with direct flights low cost.
Walk in the medina
The sea air
The city artists
factsheet
Walk in the medina ::
With its walls facing the ocean, Essaouira looks like a Moroccan Saint-Malo and the chance is there for nothing. This is Theodore Cornut, a French architect, a great admirer of Vauban, who designed the plans for the city in the 18th century. Behind its high walls, lies the medina, a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
To plunge into the atmosphere of the old Mogador, nothing better than starting to get lost in its white streets, punctuated blue doors and shutters. In this labyrinth where life seems to move in a comfortably numb, we surrender to the stroll and discover the way the art galleries, the souks fish and spices, sheltered under the arcades of small squares.
In the many craft shops, you can find everything: ceramics, pottery, jewelry, wrought iron lamps, musical instruments, leather bags, raffia slippers, wool carpets and wood cedar, the specialty of the city being cabinetmaking and marquetry. Not to mention the famous argan and other products taken from the argan oil, tree endemic southwestern Morocco (see our Focus on argan oil).
Then it's time for mint tea, taken on the terrace of a cafe or in the garden patio of a riad. Finally, any self-respecting gourmand will be stopping at Driss, one of the oldest pastry of Essaouira (1928), where there are, say, the best gazelle horns throughout the city.
The sea air ::
In Essaouira, the sea is everywhere. The city has the third sardine port of Morocco. It is reached by passing under the arch of the gate of the Navy (1769), south-west of Medina.
After morning fishing trawlers in wood and a bunch of blue boats basking in the harbor, while on the docks, we combed the net. In the sky, spin clouds of gulls, which is very difficult to avoid getting guano!
Sqala the port, there is a panoramic view of the harbor, the Medina and the city walls at the foot of which come aground the Atlantic rollers. Before being redesigned by architect Cornut the 18th century, the imposing stronghold stone was a fortress belonging to the Portuguese.
The long walk on the esplanade, where European canons line the battlements of the wall, has something décoiffer. It must be said here, the sea wind rarely stops blowing, making the province of Essaouira a destination for lovers of surfing, windsurfing or kitesurfing.
Within a radius of 30 km around the city, the beaches of Sidi Moulay Bouzerktoun and Kaouki spots are particularly popular.
The city artists ::
He reigns in Essaouira extraordinary artistic creativity. Among the ten galleries that make up the city, we note Othello, Bab Sbaa, especially Damgaard, the best known, which exposes souiris artists. Note that the Contemporary Art Centre of Essaouira is located Ifitry, 50 km from the city.
Musically, the city is not far behind with three major festivals each year. The classic is honored in April during the musical Spring Trade winds. In October, the Atlantic Andalousies celebrate the blending of Arab-Andalusian culture and Judeo-Moroccan.
Finally, in June, during the Gnaoua World Music Festival and the white city vibrates to the sound of catchy rhythms guembris, the gangas and rattlesnakes, instruments of Gnawa, descendants of slaves from sub-Saharan Africa.
But no need to wait for the festival to listen to music in Essaouira Gnawa: concerts are held throughout the year in cafes or riads. Including Taros, the trendy cafe in the vast Place Moulay Hassan, where you may enjoy a drink while watching the horizon from the top of the terrace.
On Saturday night, the atmosphere there is electric and eclectic, the Souiris mingling with international tourists, clubbing mode. An experience, before ending the night in the quiet calm of a riad.
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