Essaouria; the wind city of Morocco

10 Apr

Essaouria wind city Morocco things to do in Essaouria

Essaouria popularly known as the” wind city of Morocco” is a vibrant coastal city and it is a must see for any tourist in Morocco. It is called “the wind city” of Morocco due to the strong winds that pass through this Atlantic.

I went to Essaouria as part of a tour group; I booked this tour from Airbnb experiences; it was cheaper on airbnb as compared to other platforms.

Once you make your reservation, you’ll be sent a booking confirmation with the necessary information.Make sure to read your booking confirmation as it will offer advice on the pickup time, type of footwear to wear and outfit to wear.

The tour group met at Argana cafe in Jamaa Elfna at 8:00am.I was picked up by an air conditioned 16 sitter minibus. The tour group consisted of two asians, one European and 4 africans.I met 3 lovely Kenyan ladies and we were off to a great start.

We made 3 stops;

The first stop was at Cafe Restaurant Atlas where we had our breakfast and used the restroom.Restaurant Atlas is brightly decorated with purple. Many people opted for only Moroccan tea. We spent about 30minutes here.

Cafe Restaurant Alas Essaouria things to do — Tour group at Cafe Restaurant Atlas

things to do in Essaouria — Mimi at Cafe Restaurant Atlas

We journeyed further and made the Second stop by the roadside to see the ‘tree Goats” of Essaouria on Argana trees. It was crowded by tourists who wanted to see the goats and also take pictures. We were approached by a man who gave us a Goat to take pictures and we received the goat. On giving back this goat he demanded for money.We parted ways paying him some money. These hustlers are quite common in Morocco. I was fascinated to see goats standing on Argan tree branches; it was a sight to behold.We spent 30minutes asking questions, taking photos and making videos. You can read more about the tree goats of Essaouria here Tree goats of Essaouria

Tree goats Essaouria flying goats Argana tree — Tree goats of Essaouria

The third stop was at an Argan oil cooperative. These cooperatives were set up to provide employment for Moroccan women. We learnt about the various stages of making Argan oil and got to try many products made from Argan.

*Moroccan women grinding the Argan kernels using a stone mill. This is the Fourth step in making Argan oil.*

Making Argan oil is time consuming and involves a lot of labour since all the processes are done by hands.

The stages involved in making Argan oil includes:

Picking up / harvesting the Argan fruits- This process is quite tedious as the fruits has to be handpicked and gathered.
De-hulling the fruits- In the past, the tree goats of Essaouria used to help with this process but in recent times, the fruits are dried up and cracked open to remove the kernels
Roasting the nuts- The extracted nuts are roasted and this helps in giving the unique nutty flavour.
Grinding the kernels- as illustrated in the picture on the right.The seeds are grinded using a stone mill by making several rotatory movements by hand. This is the most difficult process in making Argan oil.The end product is a paste which is collected ion a bowl.
Filtering the oil -WIth the use of a fine mesh the oil is filtered to remove impurities.
Packing -The oil is collected and packaged in bottles for use.

The fourth stop was at Essaouria Medina which was also the final stop. We alighted from the bus and were free to explore Essaouria by ourselves.

The best things to do in Essaouria on a day’s visit;

Explore the Medina and Souk

Formerly known as Mogador, this Medina is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Morocco.Just like every Moroccan market, it is brightly coloured and you can find almost everything being sold here. The art works the souks are incredible.There is an area for selling fish, make sure you don’t miss this so you can see the different varieties of fish eaten in Morocco.The Medina is very big and you might end up spending your entire day if you are not careful.

2. Have Lunch at Salut Maroc

Head off to Salut Maroc and enjoy your lunch on a highly rated and reviewed roof top restaurant and enjoy a variety of tasty Moroccan and European meals. Salut Maroc is quite picturistique and is top instagrammable spot in Essaouria.Enjoy your meal while you enjoy some cool music and sea breeze while the falcons fly over, make sure to keep an eye on your meal. Salut Maroc is a boutique hote and their roof top restaurant is open to all. The hotel is always fully booked, so you have to book ahead of time if you intend to spend the night in Essaouria.

3. Climb Essaouria’s Ramparts and Squala du port

These ramparts and Squala du port are one of the top tourist attractions to Essaouria and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. This fortress was built in the late 18th century to guard and protect the city against Pirates and Europeans. Entery is free and Tourists are can walk along these ramparts and enjoy a panoramic views of the city. These ramparts and Squala du port were used as Astapor in Game of thrones.

5. Sit by the beach side and enjoy some live music

There are many local musicians that are always playing live music around the beach side, from traditional berber music to English music. We sat here and had drinks while we waited for our ride back to Marrakesh.If you aren’t tired There are also some activities you can indulge in at the beach such as riding camels, surfing.

Visiting Essaouria was a pleasurable experience. Anyone visiting Morocco for the first time should make sure to visit Essaouria, you won’t be disappointed.

We headed off for Marrakesh by 17:00.We were dropped off at the starting point in Jemaa Elfna.