48 hours in Essaouira, invigorating escape to the rhythm of art, wind and ocean

2021-03-09T05:12:48.865Z

CITY GUIDE - Vauban-style ramparts, white houses with blue shutters and a little air of Brittany lost in African soil Cradled by the Atlantic Ocean, the city of the Trade Winds is reinventing itself as a surf spot, cultural city and hippie chic stopover. A bowl of culture and oxygen!

Could it be the trade winds that dictate its pace?

Or its roots drawing far in history a mixture of Berber, Arab-Muslim, Jewish, Christian and African influences?

A popular spot for hippies in the 1970s, a city bathed in spirituality and inhabited by geniuses, Essaouira reinvents the arty spirit of the bohemian years in Morocco.

Have lunch with your feet in the sand between two surf lessons, immerse yourself in the world of a painter inspired by colors or rock to music on a designer terrace perched above the waves ... From its intimate medina to the long beach which fringe its bay, let yourself be carried away by the melody of the wind, the arts and the ocean!

The arrival

The fastest option is to land at Essaouira international airport, 18 km from the city (Transavia flights from Paris).

Marrakech is better served, it is also possible to plan an arrival, about 2 hours and 30 minutes by road (motorway and 4 lanes).

In both cases, the ideal is to book a

transfer

from your accommodation (count 15/20 euros for the transfer from the airport to the center of Essaouira and 70/90 euros from Marrakech).

It is also possible to take the regular

Supratours

bus

lines

, punctual and comfortable (prefer the “Comfort” range with more limited capacity, 10 euros).

On site, you can walk in the medina, entirely pedestrianized and by small taxi from one district to another (single price, 60 cents).

At the moment

THE RIGHT TABLE

Dar Baba

Retro objects, bright colors and hippie chic spirit: this is the credo of Dar Baba.

Anne-Claire Delorme

Open since July 2020, Dar Baba is first and foremost a unique style, that of John Quinn, the trendy decorator in Essaouira, a mix of retro objects, bright colors and a hippie chic spirit.

In front of the bar in the large dining room crowned with an astonishing vintage collection or in the small intimate lounges scattered over the two floors of this beautiful riad, you can taste tapas and Mediterranean-inspired dishes (20/25 euros starter + main course + dessert, excluding drinks) in a relaxed atmosphere.

Musical events are organized, but in the meantime an excellent soundtrack takes over.

Dar Baba Restaurant & More.

Marrakech street.

Medina.

Phone.

: +212 (0) 8 08 51 84 42.

Read also: Gastronomy: in Essaouira, six trendy tables to munch on the ocean

THE HOTEL IN SIGHT

Hi Morocco

The hotel terrace offers a 180 ° view of the ocean.

Press photo

Facing the ramparts, with a 180 ° view of the ocean, this former consular residence is the arty address of the moment in Essaouira.

And flashy!

The owner, an English decorator, had fun imagining an ultra-colorful but harmonious universe with a nod to Moroccan craftsmanship.

"Fez", "Maghreb", "Boudoir" or "Mogador" (of course!), Each of the 11 rooms and suites is decorated in a flamboyant style reminiscent of the different atmospheres and colors of Morocco.

Its large terrace is a dream spot for a dinner facing the sunset over the Atlantic with live some evenings.

Hi Morocco, 32 rue Ibn Rochd.

Phone.

: +212 (05) 24 47 55 60

DAY 1: ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE MEDINA

The sqala of the port of Essaouira.

Adobe Stock / Saharrr

Start your visit at the

Porte de la Marine

, between the port and the medina.

Islamic crescent, Christian scallop and inscriptions in Hebrew engraved on its neoclassical pediment recall the origins: Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdallah had brought in families of three religions from all over Morocco to found the city in the 18th century!

Do not miss the spectacle of the trawlers and sardine boats returning to port, haloed by clouds of seagulls.

This is all that remains of the "port of Timbuktu" when gold, ivory and ostrich feathers poured in by caravans!

On leaving, you can enjoy the view of the western bastion of the medina with its white houses covering the ocher ramparts, before returning to the left in the

sqala of the port

, a bastion built in place of the old

Portuguese

castelo real

From the top of the platform punctuated by a square Manueline-style tower, the panorama is breathtaking over the ocean and the islands.

What to take for Othello - it is one of the sets of the eponymous film shot by Orson Welles in 1950!

Three heads surrounded by a fish

, a canvas by Saïd Ouarzaz.

Francois Real

On leaving, you cross

Place Moulay Hassan

lined with café terraces (spot the retro decor of the

Café de France on the left

) and turn right then left onto Avenue Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah, one of the main shopping streets. .

On the left, take rue Laalouj, for a few cultural breaks:

Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah

museum with ethnographic collections and

French Institute

(temporary exhibitions), both located in magnificent riads.

An adjacent alley invites you to make a detour to

the Le Real Mogador Art Center

, a cultural space and gallery located in the former Italian consulate.

Between arcades and stone colonnades, we discover the works of artists from here and elsewhere: Saïd Ouarzaz, the child of the country and his painting of the moment populated by jinns, Ghislaine Segal, follower of "trance dance painting ”or Britta Reinhardt who sprinkles her canvases with traditional Moroccan decorative ornaments.

A dazzling shape and color!

Returning to rue Laalouj, we make a

detour

via

Bayt Dakira

, a beautiful open space recently dedicated to the preservation of Judeo-Moroccan memory.

Then we take rue Attarine before turning left in the main artery of the medina, avenue Oqba Ibn Nafia, leading to the

souks

carved in a line - impossible to get lost!

Souk of fish and spices on a small square, stands of vegetables or olives along the avenue, carts of bread and fruit on the sidewalks… We whet our appetite for lunch!

LUNCH BREAK

A stone's throw from the souks,

Love By Caravane

is Didier Spindler's latest work, an offbeat universe as warm as his brightly colored canvases.

In the sun on the patio or in the shade of the living room, nibble on salads (7 euros) or daily specials (10/15 euros per dish) tasty with fresh produce while enjoying the atmosphere, the owner's motto is "Ferryman of happiness"!

5 Cadi Ayad Street.

Phone +212 (0) 6 76 21 83 67.

AFTERNOON

Will you pick up some color again?

Opposite, we stock up on old movie posters, but also crockery, glasses, plaids or cushions at

Koulchi by Hamid Drissi

, a concept store where we reinterpret tradition nicely, before taking the avenue back to the Kasbah district. Jdida.

At the corner of rue du Caire, the

Galerie Frédéric Damgaard

exhibits the works of the “singular artists of Essaouira”, an art brut movement born in the 1980s. Behind, two concept stores,

Histoire de Filles

and

L'Atelier Café -boutique

invite to other explorations between decoration and shimmering clothes made in Morocco.

For a sweet break, you can

reach Dolce Freddo at

Place Moulay Hassan a

stone's throw away

, to taste Italian ice cream or hot chocolate.

If there is no room, take your ice creams at

Café Bachir

against the ramparts where you can catch the last rays of the sun.

It is also a good spot for a mint tea.

EVENING

The terrace of Taros.

Press photo

At aperitif time, climb onto the

Taros

terraces

with views of the sqala and the ocean, their design has just been revised by the essential decorator John Quinn!

We linger there to dine under the stars or we curl up in the sofas of

La Table Madada

, good seafood cuisine under the vaults of an old carob warehouse or in the small lounges by the fireplace.

Hotel Riad Villa Maroc

with menu mixing Moroccan and international specialties (25 euros daily menu).

DAY 2: TONIC AND WELL-BEING DAY

Hiking in the argan trees.

Anne-Claire Delorme

Fancy an oxygen bath?

Go on a

ride with Berberlands-Ecotourism

to discover a hinterland with a unique ecosystem, it is the domain of argan trees from which the famous argan oil is extracted.

Along the way, you can observe the process in a women's cooperative: they always break nuts between two stones to make the gold of southern Morocco!

Further on, imposing ruins bear witness to another golden age, that of the Saadian sultans who built sugar factories in the region in the 16th century.

At the time it was exchanged weight for weight against Carrara marble!

At lunchtime, opt for a break feet in the sand at the

Ocean Vagabond

with a view of the island of Mogador and the medina.

Slate (and peach) of the day, salads, pizzas and light dishes in a

no time, no news, no shoes

atmosphere

We watch the kitesurfers when it's windy, the surfers on quieter days or we just go, the house nautical club is next door!

If you are in a more contemplative mood, extend the break on Ocean Vagabond's deckchairs or book a bed on the private beach of the

Medina Essaouira Thalassa & Spa

, the waters are a lot calmer for swimming.

And continue to relax with a well-being session in the pretty, uncluttered setting of

Azur Art & Spa

, art gallery and spa: hammam and argan oil massage, Moroccan beauty rituals will no longer have any effect. secrets!

As you exit to the left, then to the right, walk along the Vauban-style ramparts to the town's

sqala

It is the meeting place at the end of the day with obligatory photo sessions between crenellations and Borj on the ocean background.

We fill up with spray and oxygen!

EVENING

For dinner, stay in the marine atmosphere with a dish of linguine with seafood at

Silvestro

, pure Italian, or with the tasty Souirie cuisine revisited at

L'Heure Bleue

, Relais & Châteaux located in a former palace of Caid .

It is tasted in the cozy spaces of the oriental lounge in harmony with the house cuvée born from a collaboration with the neighboring Val d'Argan.

Address Book

GOOD TABLES

Tea break at L'Heure Bleue.

Press photo

Love by Caravan.

5 Cadi Ayad Street.

Phone: +212 (0) 676-218367.

Riad Hotel Villa Maroc.

10, Rue Abdellah ben Yassine.

Phone.

+212 (05) 24 47 61 47. WhatsApp: +212 (0) 6 61 24 91 42.

Océan Vagabond ESSAOUIRA Beach restaurant & ION Club.

Boulevard Mohamed VI.

Phone.

+212 (0) 5 24 78 43 67

Silvestro.

Laalouj Street.

Phone.

+212 (0) 5 24 47 35 55.

La Table Madada.

7 rue Youssef El Fassi.

Phone.

+212 (0) 5 24 47 21 06.

The Seagull and the Dromedaries (at the beach, near Sidi Kaouki) Southern dune forest Douar Tighanimine.

Sidi Kaouki.

Phone.

: +212 (0) 6 78 44 92 12

WHERE TO DRINK A GLASS?

The Taros Café Restaurant.

Place Moulay Hassan.

Phone.

: +212 (0) 5 24 47 64 07.

SWEET BREAK

Dolcefreddo.

25 bis place Moulay Hassan.

SHOPPING

History of Girls (fashion).

1 Rue Mohamed Ben Messaoud.

Phone.

: +212 (0) 5 24 78 51 93.

L'Atelier Café boutique (decoration).

Mohamed Ben Messaoud Street.

Phone: + 212 (0) 7 00 78 90 17.

Koulchi Concept Store by Hamid Drissi.

4 Cadi Ayad Street.

Phone.

: +212 (0) 6 66 59 45 54.

ART GALLERIES / EXHIBITIONS

Frédéric Damgaard Gallery.

Avenue Oqba Ibn Nafiaa, Essaouira.

Phone.

: + 212 (0) 5 24 78 44 46

Le Real Mogador, Art Center.

2 rue Mehdi Ibn Toumert.

Phone.

+212 (0) 5 24 47 27 28 / +212 (0) 6 27 22 91 15. Free admission from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. or by appointment at +212 6 27 22 91 15 (François Real).

French Institute of Essaouira.

9 rue Mohammed Diouri.

Phone.

: +212 (5) 24 47 61 97

SPAS

Azur Art & Spa.

15 rue Khalid Ben Walid.

Phone.

+212 (0) 5 24 78 57 94.

WALKS

Berberlands ecotourism.

OR SLEEP

The Garden of Douars.

¨Photo press

Le Jardin des Douars

, a guesthouse in lush gardens with 19 rooms, 6 suites and 6 private villas of 3 to 5 bedrooms with private swimming pool and housekeeper, to rent with family or friends.

From 500 euros per night hotel services included.

Douar Sidi Yassine.

Phone.

: +212 (0) 7 00 08 32 33.

Heure Bleue Palais,

Relais & Châteaux in a former caïd palace, beautiful decor mixing African colonial, oriental and English style.

Large terrace with swimming pool, solarium and restaurant / grill.

Spa, restaurant of creative Moroccan cuisine.

From 135 euros per night.

2, rue Ibn Batouta.

Phone: +212 (0) 524 78 34.

Hotel Riad Villa Maroc