Essaouira
Essaouira is a city with a nice sea port at the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It is located about 170 km north of Agadir and about 170 km west of Marrakech.
75.000 people live in Essaouira and the place is a popular place for vacation mostly by Moroccans, but more and more Europeans come there as well. The airport is located 15 kilometer off the city and at the moment there is an expansion on its way. Maybe in the future some low-cost-airlines from Europe will land there. Let’s see whether this will have a positive impact on the city or a negative impact as well.
Originally the city was founded by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC and afterwards lead by some berber tribes. At the beginning of the 16th century the Portuguese took over the rule and they expanded the port to the most important port of Morocco. Only in the 20th century the influence of Essaouira faded away.
After arrival in Essaouira (with the same driver who picked us up at the airport
some days ago) we walked to our flat. Located in the middle of the old car-free
city, spacious and therefore perfect for our kids to play around. There was also
a nice terrace. A good choice.
In Essaouira there is not so much hustle compared to Marrakech. The streets are
very original and not so full. The port with the fishing boats has a nice flair
and it was always interesting to watch the fishermen come in. There is also a
nice long beach. Our kids loved it. Especially some fenced playgrounds were in
excellent condition. You need to pay little money and the kids can play there
while the parents can relax in one of the few cafes with a mint tea.
Few times we walked along the boardwalk to some nice restaurants. It was a 45
minute walk and there you got excellent food and you were able to catch some sun
at the wind-shaded terrace. A good sun protection was a must.
A nice point is also the old weir system. There are a lot of cannons from the Portuguese. Around this area there are a lot of craftsmen who use Thuya wood to produce al lot of stuff. Of course now some of this stuff is in our possession.
Essaouira is an extremely relaxed place with original flair where you can really
enjoy your vacation.