In Essaouira, R ’n’ R could mean one of two
things – rest and relaxation or rock ‘n’
roll.
| Picture: PCL |
The laid-back vibe of this sleepy seaside town has been
attracting vaguely hippyish travellers since the 1960s, when the
likes of Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa visited.
While Casablanca and Tangier became industrial hubs, and Agadir
threw up high rises like concrete was going cheap, the pace of life
in Essaouira slowed virtually to a standstill.
Happily, little has changed today. The largest cargo coming into
port remains the local fishermen’s catch, and lazy days are
still best spent on the beach or in friendly cafés. Welcome,
then, to the anti-Agadir.
Exhausted after four days’ trekking in the Atlas
Mountains, I was relieved to be checking in to one of
Hendrix’s old haunts, the Riad al Madina, and seeing what
Essaouira had to offer.
These days, there’s literally something in the air that
pulls in the visitors. Strong headwinds sweep in from the Atlantic,
acting as a magnet for windsurfers and kitesurfers, who throng the
resort’s three-mile stretch of sandy beach. Still feeling
virtuous after the mountain trek, I was more than happy to sit and
watch them get on with it.
Thanks to the wind, the beach isn’t much good for
sunbathing – unless it’s a pebble-dashed effect
you’re after. Treat it instead as a large, open-air theatre
and you won’t be disappointed. Acrobats practise their
routine on the sand and there’s always a game of football
going on. If you want to be part of the spectacle, there are horse
and camel rides, but by far the best way to take it all in is on a
long walk, while working up an appetite for lunch.
Food can be a bit samey in Morocco – venturing beyond cous
cous and tagine is a real challenge. Thank God then, for
Essaouira’s fish stalls. They don’t look like much, but
the dozen or so barbecues that set up by the fish market each day
serve the freshest seafood you’re ever likely to taste. The
menu depends on the catch – mackerel and John Dory are
staples, but shark and swordfish aren’t uncommon.
In keeping with Essaouira’s hippy days, it’s easy to
while away the hours doing not much in particular. Thanks to the
French influence you’re never far away from a good cup of
coffee, and, unlike some corners of Morocco, alcohol is also easy
to come by, providing you disguise it in a ceramic pot. Over an
afternoon beer in the main square, it was only the call to prayer
interrupting the café’s Otis Redding CD that reminded me
I was still in North Africa. Any doubt, however, soon evaporated
with a visit to the shops.
Shopping may not be the competitive sport it is in Marrakesh,
but it still forms a focal point of any visit here. Unlike the
bigger towns and cities there’s no central souk, but
you’ll find all the traditional crafts you would elsewhere,
often minus the hard sell tactics.
Despite the hippy sensibilities, however, you will still be
expected to haggle – so if you’re in any doubt as to
how to bag a bargain, see the box, right.
