Things To Do in Essaouira

Essaouira is both a seaside port and beach resort, and although it lacks any great official sights, when combined with its artisan's markets, relaxed cafe-restaurant scene, and photogenic ramparts, it's a great place to while away a few days. The secret to enjoying Essaouira is to not be in a rush. Try to budget in a few days here, and you'll leave feeling refreshed and relaxed, and may very well plan to come back for an even longer stay.

Medina

Place Moulay Hassan -- The medina's focal point, this pedestrian-only square is lined with cafes and shops, and is perfect for a lazy morning or afternoon of people-watching. During the Gnaoua & World Music Festival, a large portion of the square becomes one of the festival's main stages. The cafes are lined up side by side in the narrow, northeastern section of the square, and all operate roughly from 8am to 11pm. One of the old-timers is Café du France, which serves an older, local clientele. Close by is Chez ben Mostafa, one of the newer, alfresco-style establishments. Their woven-cane chairs and large umbrellas are popular with travelers looking for surroundings a little more stylish. Around the corner from these cafes, facing the square's large open area, is Gelateria Dolce Freddo. This local institution serves homemade Italian ice cream by the scoop, and is open daily until late.

Souks -- Essaouira has a few small souks that are definitely worth exploring. Souk des Bijoutiers, the jewelers' 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, Le Joutia and place du Marché aux 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. In recent times there were still one or two lonely vendors selling their bags of corn kernels the old-fashioned way, courtesy of a massive set of antique scales, but alas, they have now made way for a string of sun-drenched cafes.

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.

Outside the Medina

The Beach -- Essaouira's wide, crescent-shaped bay is one long stretch of golden sand, and while perfect for a stroll, is often too windy for sunbathing. When the tide is out, the area closest to the medina becomes one large temporary football (soccer) pitch, and if you feel so inclined, is best viewed with a bottle of wine from the outdoor patio of the restaurant Le Chalet de la Plage. South of the football pitch is the main entry point for kitesurfing and windsurfing, but is also where most beachgoers congregate. From May to September, a large children's playground is set up on the beach here, in front of the Restaurant de la Baie. Farther south are some camels and horses offered for (photogenic) rides along the beach by their overly competitive owners.

Although lacking the vast array of medina shops or foundouks found in Marrakech and Fes, Essaouira's medina offers a terrific, small range of shopping experiences. Given the ease of navigation through the compact medina and a general lack of hassle from shopkeepers, some travelers prefer shopping here than in the bigger centers.

Just inside the Bab Marrakech entrance to the medina is the Ensemble Artisinal. Although rather tired looking and run-down, most of the workshops are still practicing their respective trades and are very much open for business. You'll find craftsmen here skilled in woodwork (parquetry), metalwork (lantern making), and jewelry making, including bijouteries Mogador Dag Souiri (tel. 0524/783705) and Bizbiz (tel. 0670/611967). A chunky silver ring currently sells for a hassle-free 400dh.

For those looking for groceries and alcohol, there are a few fresh produce stalls along avenue Zerktouni and a couple of small grocery shops at the southern end of avenue l'Istiqlal. There's a small supermarket outside the medina, Superette la Plage, off boulevard Mohammed V, on rue al Amira Lalla Amina, open daily from 9am to 9pm. Just outside Bab Doukala, on avenue Moulay Youssef, are a couple of shops selling alcohol, open Saturday to Thursday from 9am to 9pm.

Art

A number of art galleries displaying local and internationally recognized artists can be found close together within the medina. The most well known is Galeries Damgaard, on avenue Oqba ibn Nafiaa (tel. 0524/784446). Danish art dealer Frederic Damgaard first visited Essaouira as an art student in 1969, returning frequently to collect works by local artists and eventually opening the gallery on the ground floor of a stone mansion in 1988. It's open daily from 10am to 1pm and 3 to 7pm. Nearby is the recently renovated Espace Othello, 9 rue Mohammed Layachi (tel. 0524/475095), owned by Belgian Mochel de Saint-Maux. La Petite Galerie, under the archway at the beginning of rue ibn Rochd coming off place Moulay Hassan (tel. 0665/660630; fax 0524/476431; www.artmajeur.com/soulaiman), is the showroom of local artist Slimane Drissi. His style of abstract humanism is both compelling and uplifting. Framed prints are on sale for 500dh to 3,000dh. Drissi's gallery is open daily from 9am to 9pm.

Beauty & Fashion

Argan oil and its associated beauty products are sold from shops throughout the medina. Products made specifically from Co-opérative Tamounte, under the product name Arganad, are for sale at Chez Boujmah, on the corner of avenue Allal ben Abdellah and rue el Hajjali. It's open daily from 6:30am to 11pm (later in summer). Arga d'Or, 5 rue ibn Rochd (tel. 0661/601471 or 0661/109287), is a dedicated argan shop with assistants on hand to display the various creams, soaps, and other beauty products, as well as selling cooking oil, argan honey, and the sweet amlou paste. It's open daily from 9am to 12:30pm and 2:30 to 8pm.

Raffia Craft, 82 rue d'Agadir (tel. 0524/783632; fax 0524/474892), is the small outlet shop for local raffia fashion designer Miro. Most of his woven shoes and sandals are sold directly to European outlets, but there's still a quality selection of both men's and women's footwear to be found in this compact shop, open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 1pm and 3 to 7pm, and Sunday from 10am to 1pm. French fashion designer Litza Chemla's popular range of funky handbags and fashion accessories, Poupa Litza, is now available from her cavernous boutique at 135 bis av. Mohamed el Qouri (tel. 0524/783565; www.poupalitza.com), open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 12:30pm and 2:30 to 7pm.

Carpets

In the far left corner of the small Le Joutia souk is shop no. 160, the only carpet shop within this souk and owned by Abdellatif al Koujdaih and his father for the past 40 years. In what must be the smallest shop in Morocco, Abdellatif has carpets stacked up to the walls. Most of the carpets are antique, or "preloved," as Abdellatif puts it, and are of Berber design. He also has a small selection of traditional marriage belts and other antiques, such as wood boxes specifically designed for holding mint tea glasses. He's open daily from 10am to 1pm and 3pm to "sundown."

Jewelry

Within the Souk des Bijoutiers , shop no. 2 is owned by Hamid El Asri (tel. 0668/515217) and his two sons, Abdallah and Saïd, who produce some beautiful and original silver jewelry. Having learned the trade from their father, the two brothers are now letting their creativity flow, creating necklaces and pendants in designs influenced by such things as the stars and planets, combined with symbols of Arabic and Berber origin. Their prices are very reasonable, and have the customer, rather than the guides' commission, in mind. The shop is open daily from 10am to 10pm.

Leather

Along rue Lattarine you'll find a string of shops selling leather goods, such as bags, briefcases, poufes (foot cushions), and sandals. About halfway along this street, next to Hotel Souiri, is Mohammed Schumacher, who, as his name suggests, is a shoemaker. Mohammed's little shop is where he makes a range of footwear, mostly sandals, by hand; if there's none that fit, give him a day or so, and he'll make a pair to order. He's open daily from 9am to 7pm, but closes for Friday midday prayers.

Music

The home of the Gnaoua & World Music Festival has surprisingly few music shops. One of the best is Azza Lafnak d'Essaouira, Youssef Boumald's little musical treasure house at the base of the clock tower, on avenue Oqba ibn Nafiaa. He sells a wide range of Arabic, jazz, and world music, as well as CDs of past festivals. Daily hours are from 9:30am to 9:30pm. Mustapha Lacheb operates a similar shop, on avenue l'Istiqlal, close to the Wafa bank. Local Rasta-man Zak Zakaria's Happy Shop, on the corner of rue ibn Rochd and rue Mohammed Diouri (tel. 0677/325755), is full of percussion instruments from all over the world, including West African djembe drums, Australian didgeridoos, and Arabic darbuka drums. He'll also provide lessons. Happy Shop is open daily from 9am to 5pm. The tiny Trance Music shop, 3 rue Oujda, just off avenue Sidi Mohammed ben Abdellah (tel. 0663/815789), is where you'll often find travelers sharing a mint tea with happy-go-lucky Belcaid Abdel, who's only too happy to let visitors try the mélange of musical instruments hanging from the walls and ceiling. He's also got a good selection of CDs featuring mostly Moroccan artists. He's usually open daily from 9am to 9pm.

Textiles

For the past 30 years, Mohammed Oulad el Hajja has been selling the finest hand-woven fabrics from his small shop, Tissage Artisinal, 15 rue Oudja (tel. 0665/209297). Throw-overs, scarves, tablecloths, curtains, and yards of cloth -- in wool, chenille cotton, and vegetable silk -- come in all the colors of the rainbow. During weekdays, there are usually some local women at work on the loom within his shop. Credit cards are accepted. Hours are Monday to Saturday 9am to 9pm.

Woodwork

Dotted throughout the medina you'll find shops selling jewelry boxes, tables, and various objets d'art made from the aromatic thuya, a short, scrublike conifer found only in northwest Africa, with small and endangered populations in Malta and southern Spain. The thuya tree produces a golden brown-red hardwood that is highly figured with small clusters of tight burls and can be polished to a fine luster. The craftsmen turn the wood into all manner of pieces, the more popular of which are chess boards, jewelry boxes, letter holders, book ends, and salad bowls. Some pieces also combine fine examples of marquetry. In recent years, however, the tree has come under pressure in Morocco from illegal logging, purely for the making of the products mentioned above. The thuya workshops that used to abound within Essaouira's medina are all but gone now, and one presumes that the craft will slowly disappear as the commodity becomes even scarcer.

There's no raging nightlife scene in Essaouira, but there are a few select places (most doubling as restaurants) where you can enjoy a drink. For a sunset drink with a view, try the beachfront Le Chalet de la Plage, which has a pretty good wine list that includes a selection from a nearby winery. They usually prefer clients to eat, which can be solved by ordering an appetizer or two. Farther south along the beach is Restaurant de la Baie. One of the more popular watering holes, especially around Gnaoua & World Music Festival time, is within the medina at Alain Fillaud's rooftop Taros, 2 rue Skala (tel. 0524/476407; www.taroscafe.com). Overlooking place Moulay Hassan, there are a couple of levels of lounges and tables, and an L-shape bar with overhead gas heaters during the colder months and live music over summer. It can be a bit windswept at times, but there are plenty of protected corners to enjoy your drink. It's also the "in" place for local expats and has a pretty good vibe on Friday and Saturday nights. Taros is open Monday to Saturday 8am to 11pm. Also overlooking place Moulay Hassan is Christina Bataller's Casa Vera (tel. 0524/783105). This lively restaurant-cum-lounge bar offers up a fun mix of tapas and live music inside, and glorious 360-degree views from a rooftop terrace of hot pink cushions scattered over white vinyl lounges shaded by sturdy thatch pergolas. It's open Wednesday to Monday from noon to midnight. Some of the restaurants in the medina that are also good for a drink are Les Chandeliers, a cozy spot, especially upstairs on the mezzanine-level tapas lounge; La Triskalla, where a younger, slightly alternative crowd comes to chill out; and Restaurant Baraka, which often hosts live music on the weekends to accompany its menu of cocktails.