Essaouira: Castle in the Sand
Essaouira
Essaouira looks like a giant sand castle. Unfortunately, Jimi Hendrix did not write "Castles Made of Sand" while visiting/being inspired by this gorgeous city on the sea, but nevertheless, it's a fun thought. I can't help but hold that classic in my head when I daydream about my time in this precious seaside refuge.
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| Essaouira means "Well designed" - I agree |
So, this begins the epic retelling of our 3 nights in Essaouira - we originally planned for 2 but the locals and I convinced Annie to add a 3rd - no regrets!
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| Yes, we got a speeding ticket on the way, no, it wasn't expensive, yes, we loved the whole experience |
The drive was long (about 9 hours!) but relatively uneventful (minus the speeding ticket - it was a pleasant experience), we took the A1 to the N-1 and they seemed like brand new highways, traffic was light - it was fun to pass the signs for Casablanca!
While the drive was pleasant, we were a bit road weary by the time we navigated to the Essaouira airport to drop of the rental car. Much to our surprise, the airport was pretty much closed! This is where the fun began - we didn't think so at the time- and why we are Avis customers for life.
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| calm morning in Essaouira |
One key note: in Tangier, we asked if we could drop the car off upon our arrival in Essaouira at the airport and they agreed.
Have I mentioned that everyone we encountered in Morocco on this trip was extraordinary? This was also true of the security guard at the Essaouira airport who kindly let us in the building (the airport was already closed!) to use the restroom and pointed us in the direction of some lingering rental car employees that spoke a little English to help us navigate this car drop-off situation.
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| Essaouira Airport |
So, the long and short of it was the lovely airport people contacted the Avis guy, he worked both downtown and at the airport. We weren't able to leave the car at the airport because he was finishing his shift downtown. Frustrated, we were ready to settle into our AirBnb and decided to head to town, park, and deal with the car the next day. At this point, we were cursing Avis.
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| love this door |
As we were driving into town, a car pulls up beside us, waving frantically. Annie and I exchange glances, "What does THIS guy want?!" He pulls in front of us, parks, jumps out of the car and waves his AVIS book at us - yes, it was the AVIS guy, and YES, he went out of his way to find us as he knew we were heading into town.
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| Essaouira |
As if it wasn't enough for him to work overtime, find us, guide us into the city, and let us return the car, he asked where we were staying. He raised his eyebrows when he saw the address and said, "You better follow me." Turns out where we were staying was on the other side of the Medina and while it was still early evening and there was some light, inside the city walls was darker and a labyrinth of alleyways, food stalls, shops, oof. We never would have found this place.
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| found it! home sweet home for 2 nights |
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| just outside the city walls |
We walked for what felt like miles after such a long day in the car, however, it was maybe only 10-15 minutes. As our new guide glided through the alleys dodging people, pointing out good places, nodding hello to friends and neighbors, he did all this while carrying Annie's luggage and lifting it each time we were near a food stall claiming that there was fish on the ground and he didn't want to get her luggage dirty!
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| street art, Essaouira |
We finally reach the house, it was so tucked away, we seriously would still be looking for it - and low and behold after a brief exchange, we learned he went to elementary school with the caretaker of our house!
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| I could wander for days |
Before leaving us with his cell phone insisting we call him if we needed anything during our stay, he walked us to a friend's restaurant (we would end up returning because it was amazing) and introduced us to people along the way that could help us if we needed or merely to use their storefronts as landmarks.
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| kitties and street art |
What has your rental car company done for you?! Honestly, can't thank this man enough for taking his personal time to help two weary travelers. It's experiences like these that restore my love for humanity and connection and always serves as a reminder to be on the lookout for those you can help when someone is lost or struggling on your turf.
Now, onto this AirBnb. I wholeheartedly recommend this accommodation as well, but I will say it was a bit roomy for only 2 people.
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| tiles and balconies and plants, oh my |
A family or larger group would have a ball in this house.
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| views from the balcony |
It's multi-level, open air, has a view of the ocean from the rooftop deck, Touria, the caretaker, will cook you an incredible, traditional, Moroccan breakfast for the equivalent of $5/person right in the gorgeous kitchen, and there's a turtle that lives on the roof.
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| Traditional Moroccan Breakfast, I still dream about those pastries |
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| Turtle! |
Book it here: Dar Hanalia
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| rooftop views from Dar Hanalia |
A home so grand, we couldn't use every sitting area!
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| never sat in this room... |
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we never sat here either :/
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Now onto why Essaouira is the best ever.
I had visited 10 years ago and loved the laid back, international, seaside vibe. In all of my travel experiences, it seems to be the theme that people are happier near the water. I couldn't wait to get back to see if this was all still true. It was, and I loved this little seaside gem even more. And, I found a bunch of incredible pottery on the beach - so exciting!
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| found pottery |
Shop owners were fun, not too pushy, obviously wanting to make sales but also wanting to curate an experience. Negotiating over price is common and you need to go in with a strong idea of what you'd like to pay for items, being confident with your offer helps keep the transaction short but it can be a lot of fun once you get the hang of it. My personal struggle is what to offer for handmade goods as I always want to consider not only the art form, but also the person making it.
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| You can never have enough small bowls, don't believe what people tell you! |
Essaouira seems to be known for woodworking. Shopping for hand carved items seemed to be one of the souvenirs that put you directly in touch with the woodworkers as they often sold right out of their workshop. The aroma of the woodworking shops fills the air. I bought another set of dice for a gift and a couple of wooden boxes that are unhinged and a puzzle to open. We had fun figuring those out with the shop owner. I had even more fun watching the recipients back home try to crack the code!
When in Morocco, in my humble opinion, the most exciting purchase you can make is a handwoven rug. On my previous visit, I refused to leave the country without this gorgeous orange runner I saw on the way to the airport. My stubbornness and being out of money helped me get the deal of a lifetime and it's my most treasured possession.
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| refueling with fresh orange, mint tea, and olives before rug shopping |
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| love this distressed door with diamond tile |
On this trip, I decided I was manifesting a new living space (still working on that!) but was open to buying another rug. Annie, a new home owner, had specific spaces in mind. I actually told Annie that the ultimate goal of this trip was to outfit her home with rugs!!! We stopped at each and every rug shop, chatting with rug dealers, getting a feel for pricing. Somehow during this adventure, I began to be increasingly interested in vintage rugs and the history they held.
We had a lot of maybes in mind but it wasn't until we found the mother, daughter team at Tairist that we knew we found our shop. You can follow them on online and you'll find yourself drooling over rugs in no time.
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| decisions made! |
Tairist:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/_tairist_/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/shoptairist/
Etsy:https://www.etsy.com/shop/BazarMehdi?fbclid=IwAR1KtydYCszcJe2QacgVLQyzzziOnf_K9QkqfAlGzdfVYFUKboCVZMBmgjs
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| Annies rug in her new home, gorgeous |
Why we loved this shop:
- Female owned & operated
- Maha is a third generation rug dealer
- Confident in their stock, they knew we'd be back the next day and didn't hassle us when we left to think!
- Employed the "When you find the one, you will know" philosophy, so true!
- Helped convince Annie to stay another night in Essaouira
- Insisted on helping us get the rugs back to our Riad!
- Recommended the most gorgeous Riad for our last night
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| above and beyond |
More entertaining was the decision to get the rugs home ourselves. While mine rolled up and fit into my carry-on, Annie's was a whole other story. As I picked up my bags in JFK, I noticed my tags had all fallen off, how my bag with my Moroccan treasures made it intact, we'll never know.
Did I mention they also recommended the most incredible Riad for our last night?
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| incredibly beautiful Riad near the center of Essaouira |
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| so light and airy |
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| The biggest and best Moroccan Breakfast on the Rooftop |
Views from the Rooftop of Riad Lyon Mogador
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| Fishing boats Essaouira is shopping outside with kitties at your feet, chatting with artisans and shopkeepers, internalizing local wisdom, taking in the sunrise and sunset, wandering aimlessly through the crooked alleys of the medina, rooftops, mysterious doors, tile everywhere, Moroccan breakfasts, mint tea, morning walks to the sea  dress by Together Textiles: https://www.togethertextiles.com/ Thank you for reading about our Moroccan adventure. We're already planning the next one! Natalie |
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