How to spend a weekend in Essauila, Morocco

According to local lore, when Jimi Hendrix visited Essauila in July 1969, he was taken along with a Moroccan port city, and tried to buy a Diabat from a nearby village. How true it is lost behind the veil of purple haze, but the bohemian spirit of Essauila lives on, and the creative energy that made Morocco a key stop on the hippie trails of the 1960s and 1960s It attracts enthusiastic travelers to create a relaxed atmosphere. The 1970s.

The hippies were not the only ones who felt the pull of Essauila. For centuries, the city's famous Atlantic breezes have been blown away by French, Portuguese, Spanish and even British influences, and blended with Arabic and Amazig traditions to create windswept fortress in Moroccan It has been established as a center of art and design.

Today, Essauila moves to its own drum beat. One is rattling with the rhythm of Gunawa, a traditional music originally practiced by those who were brought together by the Sahara slave trade. Each June, for three days, the sounds of rumbling routes, rhythmic castanets and hypnotic vocals fill the streets at Gnaoua and World Music Festival. Like the five towering gates and babs open to the medina of the city, these spiritual rhythms may seem like a portal to the Moroccan past, but Essauila also has a modern side . Wandering along the streets filled with Souk, there are contemporary boutiques, artisan patisserie and coworking spaces where nomadic creatives continue to follow their countercultural lifestyles.

Day 1: Culture Kick

morning
Essaouira's Medina follows a rough grid system and allows easy sailing on foot through old UNESCO listed quarters. Scala heads to Beit Dakira, a local history museum that once houses sacred texts and other crafts from a considerable Jewish population. Afterwards, you spend some time exploring the main avenues of Medina (twin strands running from north to south), and the store owners sell ceramics, ornate wood carvings and jewel-studded jewellery. Along the way, stop by Chaim Pinto Synagogue, a 19th-century RIAD-turned-service venue and try out some of the city's most popular snacks at Crepes Essaouira, a crepestole near the main square.

afternoon
Head to L'Atelier for Molokan cuisine and the window into its influence. Occupying a former almond warehouse on the outer edge of the Medina, the cafe and concept store hosts daily cooking workshops except on Sundays. Explore different markets in the historic core, source ingredients and learn the names of aromatic spices from back to make traditional meals. The menu is primarily determined by the freshest parts of the harbor and souk, but we expect to enjoy starters like The Arroke (over gin and tomato dip). There are also pastries and mint tea master classes for those with sweet teeth.

evening
Head deep into the medina to get a taste of the local art and design scene. Stop by Le Real Mogador. This is a vast mansion where a rotating exhibition of contemporary Moroccan works is set around a quiet inner courtyard. The Gallery Kasbah is also worth checking out. Filled with sculptures, carpets and paintings, this renovated 18th-century riad presents a quirky mix of local art. For dinner, book a table at nearby Darbaba, a candle-lit space serving Moroccan Mediterra cuisine, then finish the evening by joining bohemian customers for cocktails and live fusion jazz .

Day 2: Active Adventure

morning
Prepare for the day with pumpkin cinnamon bread, an artisan patisserie at Avenue De Luis Tiklar, the main drug in Medina. Next, take a walk along the Scaladellaville to embrace the wind. Designed by French architect Theodore Coltz, the city's walls were supported by 19 bronze artefacts shipped from Spain, protected from invaders and merciless Atlantic waves. As the fishing boat returns with the catch of the day, it walks towards Scala du Port. Originally a small trading port, Essauila port once also handled half of Morocco's foreign trade. While you're here, don't miss out on fresh sardines cooked on hot coal on “Grill Street” and there are stalls lined up at the edge of the water.

afternoon
Year-round Winds have made Essaouira a top surfing and kitesurfing destination since the 1960s. Walk south from the harbor to the main beach of Essauila. AEON Club offers equipment rentals, windsurfing and kitesurfing lessons, as well as wing foil courses. Small waves in the summer are better for beginners, but more experienced surfers may want to face big winter swells. Those who want to see the action from the coast will find several beach clubs and restaurants along the promenade. The beach and friends have a restaurant serving sunbeds, umbrellas, and local seafood and classic cocktails.

evening
Morocco's Atlantic Coast enjoys breathtaking sunsets. As the sky turns pink, head to Palma Quad on Essauila Beach for the final adventure of the day: a guided quad bike tour from the city. After a short test drive, I spent several hours riding a truck surrounded by desert plantings, riding a seemingly forgotten section of the Essauila coastline, watching the sky turn to a fiery orange colour. Masu. Return to Medina for dinner under the exposed brick arches of Triskala, a farm that occupies one of the oldest homes in Essauila. The menu changes daily, but be sure to feast on fragrant seafood taguin, order fennel bread and mop up the juice.