Day 127 – Essaouira, Morocco

After a full day in Marrakesh yesterday, we departed early this morning to visit the seaside town of Essaouira. This was the plan for the day:

Day 3 - Essaouira, Morocco

Visit Essaouira and delve into the rich history of this 18th-century UNESCO town. Explore the medina and wander the narrow streets to admire its magnificent ramparts and fortifications. After lunch and free time to explore, drive to Le Val d’Argan; this stunning estate covers more than 80 acres and is home to vineyards, olive groves and argan trees. Discover how camels are used to harvest the grapes and savor a wine tasting before returning to your hotel for an evening at your leisure.

The ride to Essaouira was long, but I enjoyed seeing the countryside. Olive trees were everywhere, which was not surprising since Morocco has always been a land of olives and is the world's fifth largest producer and exporter of olive oil.

So Many Groves of Olive Trees

We passed many traditional Moroccan buildings made with mud bricks and rammed earth, although most of these were in ruins. We also saw many flocks of sheep grazing near the road with their lone shepherds, who are part of the intangible heritage of Morocco.

The Heritage of Morocco - Shepherds and Their Sheep and Mud Brick and Rammed Earth Buildings

Before reaching Essaouira, we began to see argan trees. Today, the trees grow only in southwestern Morocco between Essaouira and Agadir, where we began our overland excursion. The argan tree is central to life in the rural Berber communities here. For centuries, Berbers have used argan oil for cooking, cosmetics, and medicines, and argan wood for tools, construction, and fuel.

Goats and argan trees seem to go together, since goats are attracted to the argan fruit inside the nuts. The goats will even climb the trees to reach the nuts, and our guide called them flying goats. I didn’t see any goats in the trees but did see a few reaching up toward the branches.

Argan Trees and Goats

Driving through the small villages with their colorful markets was interesting to me. Here, mules and donkeys were a common form of transportation.

Traditional Villages and Means of Transportation

We stopped at Le Val d’Argan to sample their wines and enjoy a wide array of tapas. This was my first chance to try a wide variety of Moroccan olives, and these were so much better than the ones I’m used to. Here, they don’t use tractors in the vineyard; they use camels, and I saw two of them before we left.

A Refreshing Visit to Le Val d’Argan

Camels with One Hump Are Called Dromedaries

We soon arrived in Essaouira, our primary destination for the day. Essaouira is located on the Atlantic coast and was founded in 1765 as a trading port linking Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa with Europe and the rest of the world. Its history, however, dates to the seventh century BCE, when Phoenicians stopped here while transiting the Atlantic Ocean.

We drove past the city walls and entered the medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The medina is “an outstanding and well preserved example of a mid-eighteenth-century fortified seaport town, with a strong European influence translated to a North African context,” according to UNESCO documents.

City Walls Enclose the Medina

We wandered through the narrow streets and admired the unique blue and white architecture, with its whitewashed walls and blue accents, including doors and shutters.

Narrow Streets, but No Motorcycles!

Whitewashed Buildings with Blue Accents

Doors of Essaouira 

Cats of Essaouira 

We paid an unplanned visit to the Bayt Dakira, or the House of Memory, an interesting museum and cultural center that showcases the history of the Moroccan Jewish community in Essaouira and other Moroccan cities. The museum also celebrates the long history of the peaceful coexistence of Muslims and Jews in both Essaouira and Morocco in general. Moroccan Jews were originally encouraged to settle here and handle the trade with Europe, and Jews once comprised most of the population.

Bayt Dakira

Our guide took us to an area where we could walk up to and explore the city walls. Here, we enjoyed expansive views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Exploring the Walls of Essaouira 

Tim and Sarah On the Walls of Essaouira 

As we made our way back to the motorcoach, we walked through the main square and past the citadel near the harbor.

Walking Back Past the Citadel and City Walls

After a nice buffet lunch at a modern hotel outside the medina, we began our drive back to Marrakesh.

Lunch at the Atlas Essaouira and Spa

On the way, we stopped at the Marjana Argan Cooperative, a community where skilled Berber women demonstrated the traditional, and laborious, process of producing argan oil. These women first removed the pulp and then cracked the shell to release the one or two kernels. The nuts are extremely hard and must be cracked carefully with stones so as not to damage the kernels. A handmade stone mill was used to extract the oil from lightly roasted nuts.

The preparation of argan oil has always been a sociable group activity, and we could see how the tradition continues in this cooperative. Although I rarely shop, I broke down here and purchased several items.

Producing Argan Oil at the Marjana Argan Cooperative

It was after 7:00 pm when we finally returned to our hotel in Marrakesh, but I really enjoyed today. Although I appreciated Marrakesh and its history and amazing architecture, I preferred Essaouira, with its calmer and laidback vibe. I am very happy to have seen Marrakesh for myself, but I’m glad Essaouira was on our itinerary as well.

Best Friends - Our Guide Hanyn and Tim