Like Castles in the Sand: Essaouira, Morocco

If you thought that Morocco was only a place for camels and sand, you must not have heard about Essaouira. This wind and kite surfer's paradise is only one place you should stop during your trip in Morocco. For many addicted to this pristine beach town, it is their only stop!

There is a story that goes around Essaouira, Morocco, about how the ruins of former forts and castles on the beach were the inspiration for Jimi Hendrix’s famous song “Castles in the Sand.” Whether or not this story is true is highly debatable, but Jimi Hendrix was a big fan of the town of Essaouira, which he visited in the sixties during his travels of Morocco, prior to the arrival of another great music legend: Bob Marley. The citizens of the town remember both visits fondly, and celebrate both occurrences in Essaouira to this day with various music festivals throughout the year. The Wailers, the former group of Bob Marley, performed in Essaouira during the 2004 festival.

Jimi Hendrix was a big fan of the town of Essaouira, which he visited in the sixties during his travels of Morocco, prior to the arrival of another great music legend: Bob Marley

Essaouira is increasingly becoming seen as a regular tourist destination, but the small town still has a wonderful sense of the past, its place in the past, and its surroundings. Essaouira is certainly not as much of a “tourist trap” as say Marrakesh, and the town is a great place to look for local crafts, or to take a more relaxed pace in the middle of a multi-day or multi-week Moroccan tour. If you like hand crafts, the woodwork in Essaouira is famous as being one of the oldest artistic forms that has thrived in the town. Thuja wood is often used, and the town is considered the main center for wood carving and wood carvers in all of Morocco.

If handcrafts and local markets aren’t your thing, Essaouira is a port town that still brags of battlements and walls from a time when these things were actually necessary for defense. Although no longer in use, these leftover pieces of architecture allow fantastic views of the beaches and the sea that should not be missed on any Morocco tour itinerary. Essaouira is one of the calmest and most laid back tourist stops you may find while traveling through Morocco, and for many on an extended trip Essaouira is the perfect stop for several days or even a week to rest. While there are hotels available, there are also camp sites not far from the beach, depending on what your taste is.

As far as what there is to occupy your time in Essaouira, almost all the activities eventually come back to the beach. Essaouira has a long and beautiful beach, and since this is a port town, it goes without saying that this may be the best place during a Moroccan tour to get really fantastic sea food. The beach is not surprising considering that the Essaouira has often been referred to as the “jewel of the Atlantic.”

For the type of tourist activity that will get people’s attention back home, there are camel tours on the beach, and if you would like to venture inland to see the desert as part of your Moroccan adventures, they will guide you there, as well.

The other famous aspect of the beach is wind sufring in Morocco. The winds blow in towards Essaouira constantly, and make the area a destination for wind surfers that is known world wide. If catching the waves is your sort of vacation, then Essaouira may very well be your favorite stop in all of Morocco! And of course, don’t forget the ruins of old castles and fortifications on the beach, that local legends still tie to the famous Jimi Hendrix song.

Rest and relaxation, or wind surfing and trekking. For either type of tourist, Essaouira has plenty to offer, and should be a mandatory stop on any tours of Morocco travel.