Day Trip to Essaouira

Essaouira came highly recommended by a friend of mine, who said that it is much more relaxed and laid back than Marrakech.  We had a free day before we needed to head back to Casablanca and we decided to make the trip to Essaouira.  This was a big commitment as we had just finished a 10 hour minivan ride the day before and we were now going to hop onto a bus for 6 hours (3 hours per direction).

We had researched the bus times the night before, but when we arrived at the Supratours Bus station to purchase tickets, we were told that the 9am bus we wanted to take was cancelled due to Ramadan.  We had to wait an extra hour for the next one, so we walked over to the train station where we found an open café. This appeared to be the only business that was open in the area as the streets around us were just dead.

After a plesant 3 hour bus ride, we arrived at the Supratours Bus station in Essaouira.  Some people on our bus recommended that we purchase our return ticket right away since it is sometimes difficult to get a ticket.  We ended up having to take one of their comfort buses back, which was an extra 25% in cost, but included reclining chairs.  For a 3 hour bus ride, it wasn’t necessary, but due to the bus schedules and this one being the only one offered at the time we wanted to return, we had no choice. 

Essaouira is a little town situated right on the Atlantic Ocean.  The Medina is within a 10 minute walk from the bus station and there is some great scenery along the way.  We saw the busy fishing port before passing through Bab El Marsa, the gate that guards the entrance to Essaouira.  Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t great that day, so we decided to forgo climbing up to the top of the Citadel.  The weather did get better later in the afternoon, but we were stretched for time and could only view it from the port.

After passing through the Bab El Marsa, a rocky beach lines the path, leading you towards the Medina.  It’s quite interesting that everything is within a few feet but the scenery changed so drastically from the port to the beach.

Once we reached the Medina, we were on the lookout for food.  Since Essaouira is situated right on the Atlantic Ocean, we knew that we had to try some seafood.  The restaurant that we wanted to eat at wouldn’t open until 6pm, but we had a back up plan and made our way to Restaurant du Coeur.  It was tiny and very cozy and only had room for about 5 or 6 tables.  We arrived at a good time and was seated immediately.  We listened to the waiter’s recommendations and ordered a shrimp avocado appetizer, calamari and a white fish.  The meal was definitely pricier than most other ones we’ve had in Morocco but the food was amazing and service was great.  There was only one chef and one waiter and the kitchen was actually located upstairs, so the poor waiter had to keep going up and down this narrow stairway. 

We spent the afternoon wandering through the many alleyways of the Medina.  The Medina in Essaouira is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as it is an example of a 18^th century town.  It is much smaller than the one in Marrakech and perhaps for this reason, it seemed more organized.  It was actually difficult to get lost in, as most of the streets were straight and easy to maneuver through.

Before we knew it, it was time to catch our bus back to Marrakech.  Although it took a total of 6 hours on the bus to get to Essaouira, which was more time than we had in the little town, it was a day well spent.  The charm of Essaouira is definitely different to Marrakech and I was thankful that I was introduced to another side of Morocco.