Essaouira is located on a rocky outcrop on a bay which is protected by islands. To north and south of the rocks are sandy beaches with sand dunes behind, and a hinterland of sandy thorny scrub. The islands make the bay a safe anchorage.

Note the blue sky in every photo in this post. Occasionally there is thin high cloud, or a heat haze, but it is generally sunny and a very pleasant temperature. The wind can be an issue, particularly later in the day. It is sometimes called ‘Wind City’ and in a strong wind, the sand blowing on the beach can be cutting. But most of the time it is OK.

From the left are the island of Mogador, the port, the Skala and the first part of the Medina.

The town nowadays is bounded inland by a ‘green wall’ (a concrete wall with green railings on top) which runs about ¾ mile inland from the coast at the north, then about 2 miles south to meet a dual carriageway which runs back to the sea at the end of the Promenade. The wall stops any livestock from straying into town. There is also another half mile or so of new building going on to the south of the dual carriageway, known as ‘New Essaouira’. The population is about 80,000.

It was a port in the 5th century BC, and the Romans knew it as a source of purple dye for their togas; made from the shell of a mollusc that is found on the islands.  The Portuguese built a fort in 1506 and named the town ‘Mogador’, but the Moroccans took it back in 1510. For the rest of the 16th century it was a haven for pirates and exported sugar.

In 1760 King Mohammed III decided to re-orient his kingdom towards the Atlantic, and Essaouira was to become the main port for the trade that started in Timbuktu, crossed the Atlas mountains to Marrakech and then in a straight line of about 110 miles to Essaouira. He employed European architects and engineers to construct the harbour, build a fort (the Skala) and create the Medina as it is now.

The Skala – note the cannons.

You may recognise this as it was used in ‘Game of Thrones’. They don’t seem to be trading on this yet, but still have ‘Place Orson Welles’ as he made part of ‘Othello’ here in 1950. Give them time and I am sure ‘Game of Thrones’ will get something named after it.

At this point it was renamed Essaouira, which means ‘beautifully designed’.

To ensure Essaouira was a success the king closed the port of Agadir to the south. So this was Morocco’s main port until the end of the 19th century.  There was a very large Jewish population, and Europeans from Rabat were forced to move to Essaouira. This gave the town many expert craftsmen. There was also a strong diplomatic presence from European countries.

In 1912 Morocco became a French Protectorate, and the French influence is still evident, especially in the number of Patisseries. There are 2 within 50 yards of where I am staying, and this is a purely residential area, and they are all excellent and cheap. Not good for the waistline!

The town outside the medina seems to mostly date from after independence in 1956. The Jews left in 1960.

Nowadays there are 4 main sources of employment. Fishing, local government and medical and other services (it is the only large town in a province with about 450,000 population), Argan oil and above all tourism.

This was taken on a Saturday, and there are less trawlers in than usual. There seem to be about 15 to 20 trawlers, who catch sardines. Large white vans take them away, probably to Safi further north on the coast. There is no processing plant in Essaouira.

The small boats fish nearer in shore, and mainly use lines and small nets. Their catch is sold locally.

They also catch lobsters, crabs, prawns, oysters and other shellfish.

The surrounding area is the only place in the world where Argan trees grow. Their fruit can be turned into many products (including edible ones), and the world’s upmarket cosmetic companies have decided that argan oil is a very important ingredient. So recently there has been much planting of argan trees, and many co-operatives have been set up, mostly all female ones.

The Medina is a World Heritage Site and a lot of money is being spent on renovating it. They are half way through an 8 year programme, and are just finishing slapping ‘cement’ on the boundary walls. Some large buildings are being renovated, and gardens made outside the walls. The Jewish Quarter, known as the ‘Mellah’, was in a very bad state, so much has been demolished, and there are plans for yet more tourist features (i.e. cafés, and small shops) and gardens and play areas for the children (as one old building is still in use as a school). One of the synagogues is well preserved.

It is quite difficult to find at the moment, but presumably will be signposted when the work is complete.

At this time of year the tourists are mostly Europeans, many on day trips from Marrakech, others staying a couple of nights in a Riad (a large old courtyard house in the Medina turned into a hotel); but the peak season is June to September when it is very popular with Moroccans as a seaside resort. There is surfing, wind surfing and kite surfing. There is too much surf to actually swim, but splashing about in the water is quite popular, though it is cold, and you have to go a long way out before it is waist deep. There is plenty of clean golden sand for lounging and building sand castles; and at the far end of the Promenade there is the Activity Zone. This comprises a few cafés, but also about 50 camels, 20 or 30 horses and a similar number of quad bikes and trikes, all of which will take you along the beach and dunes to the south.

Clock tower and gateway in to the Medina

The shopping in the Medina is mainly for tourists. Pottery, leather goods, ceramics, turned wooden objects, carpets and argan products predominate, alongside eating establishments from small ‘Snacks’ to expensive restaurants. There are still some shops and stalls selling fruit, vegetables, meat etc, but nowhere near as many as in, say, the Medina in Casablanca. Just north of the Medina there are several streets where the locals now shop. Also there are 2 supermarkets, a Carrefour in the south (many of whose customers are Europeans until evening), and Aswak Assalam in the north. 90% of what they sell is the same, but Carrefour has a definite French slant, a few pork products, and a large area for alcohol in a separate room at one corner, whilst Aswak Assalam has an upstairs (actually an up moving travelator) selling household goods such as towels, bedding, crockery, toys etc etc.

Getting around is very easy and cheap. There are 3 main parallel roads, the Promenade, one along the ‘green wall’ and another half way between them. Petit Taxis are blue and can be hailed anywhere, and they will take you anywhere in town for 7 Dirham (about 60p). If you are not on your own it is still 7 DH. However the driver will probably pick up other people as you go along, and they will pay 7 DH as well. You do get to see more of the town.

In Morocco each town or city has different colours for its taxis, in Essaouira they are all blue, like the small fishing boats.

On the middle road, which is a dual carriageway, there are also horse taxis, painted blue as well.

They trundle  slowly up and down all day long. They take 6 inside and 1 up by the driver. Mainly used by women and elderly men, they only cost 2½ DH, though it is strictly per person. They don’t go near the main tourist areas, so the passengers are virtually all Moroccans, and very few of them speak any French. However riding in them is an interesting experience, especially at the roundabouts, where Moroccan road users are all mad.

There are dogs everywhere, some obviously pets (nearly all of Europeans) and many feral ones.

This bitch and her puppies seem to be living in the large shed on the right. They are only a few yards from where the trawlers are unloading sardines. I am sure she gets her fair share of the fish. Feral dogs clearly get plenty to east, as I saw a tourist offer one some bread, and it just turned its nose up and walked away. They are all very calm and seem to understand traffic even better than the people do.