Frommer's Review
Essaouira has a few small souks that are definitely worth exploring. Souk des Bijoutiers, the jeweler's souk, used to be a flea market, but today it's a small collection of jewelry shops, similar to the one in Tiznit, south of Agadir. Located between avenue l'Istiqlal and rue Sayaghine, many of the shops house generations of jewelers, their forefathers originally exposed to the trade by the town's 19th-century Jewish population. Although traditionally trained, some of the work presently produced by these jewelers is delightfully contemporary.
Coming off rue Sayaghine is rue el Khabbazine, where a collection of Berber cafes is a perfect place to join in with the locals for a mint tea or coffee and perhaps a game of checkers. Opposite rue Sayaghine are two squares, La Joutia and place Marché de Grains. They are connected by a small laneway occupied by the town's tailors, where handmade suits can be fashioned, sewn, and ready in a day or so. La Joutia, the smaller of the two, is the town's flea market. An amazing assortment of trash and treasure is on display here, much of it put up for auction every morning. Place Marché de Grains is better known as the Corn Market, which harks back to the square's original purpose as the weekly souk for the surrounding farmers to sell their corn and grains. Sadly, all that remains of this today are one or two lonely vendors selling their bags of corn kernels the old-fashion way, courtesy of a massive set of antique scales.
In one corner of the square is Toulaoui Café, a small family-run eatery serving sweet, piping-hot cups of mint tea; it's a great spot for rest and people-watching. They also cook a delicious couscous for lunch, every Tuesday and Friday. Most of the shops in the Corn Market are now spice stores, spilling over from Marché d'Epices (Spice Souk) across the road. The Spice Souk is still called Souk el Ghezel by some old Souiris, referring to its original function as the wool souk throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries. Like the Corn Market, nowadays there is only one wool vendor selling his wares, as he has done every day since 1954. From 7 to 10am every Monday and Wednesday, his raw wool is washed and put up for auction. Outside the shop are traditional spinning spindles for sale, as well as an oversize set of antique scales. The remainder of the shops in the square are now Souiri versions of Morocco's famous herboristes, selling brightly colored spices, herbs, and concoctions. Adjacent to the Spice Souk is the Fish Market.
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