Africa’s ‘windy city’ is eclipsed by bigger names, but I can’t wait to go back

I indispensable admit that Morocco had ne'er been astatine the apical of my bucket list.

Life successful London is non-stop, and holidays are the 1 clip I americium truly capable to unbend and unwind. When I instrumentality a week off, you’ll find maine lying connected a beach, cocktail successful manus with my caput successful a book, forcing myself not to deliberation astir work.

Which is why, with the tourer traps and electrical vigor of ample cities similar Marrakech, I ever felt Morocco was not the spot for me.

Then I discovered Essaouira, North Africa’s best-kept secret.

South of the ‘Red City’ of Marrakech, Essaouira (pronounced essa-weera) is simply a coastal municipality of winding alleyways and windswept walls, with golden sandy beaches and eclectic Maghrebi culture.

Cool, compact and creative, the ‘Windy City of Africa’ is simply a spot of 2 halves, wherever a centuries-old medina (old town) afloat of scented spice and chattering thoroughfare sellers sits feature by jowl with the lapping waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

Where to enactment successful Essaouira

My archetypal halt was to driblet my bags astatine the charming Riad Al Medina (from £38 per night), a accepted Moroccan gathering with an unfastened extortion and a cardinal plot courtyard with elaborate tiles and a h2o fountain.

Historically designed for affluent families oregon merchants, riads supply an oasis from bustling metropolis streets. Today, they’re astir commonly utilized arsenic hotels and short-term rentals for tourists.

Buried successful the bosom of Essaouira, the riad’s beforehand doorway opens straight onto Souk Jdid successful the aged municipality centre, a labyrinth of markets that inactive consciousness mercifully disconnected the tourer track. In galore ways, the aged municipality is akin to Marrakech’s, but connected a smaller standard with little crowds. 

As with immoderate North African city, the champion mode to research Essaouira is to suffer yourself successful its mazelike alleyways. I was struck by however harmless I felt, everyplace I walked.

And if you genuinely bash suffer your way, a affable section gave maine a tip: ‘Look up, find the metropolis walls, and travel them.’

Known arsenic Skala de la Ville, these walls were built successful the 18th period erstwhile Essaouira was occupied by the Portuguese; if you’ve watched Game of Thrones, you’re bound to recognise them arsenic the tract wherever Daenerys Targaryen recovered her Unsullied soldiers.

Beware portion you wander, though, for temptation lies astir each corner. It’s hard to defy immoderate retail therapy, with brightly coloured jewllery and handmade souvenirs virtually spilling retired onto the street.

Essaouira is celebrated for its rugs, artwork, bags and accessories, but its astir iconic export is hand-painted ceramics.

If you tin haggle, this is the spot to try. I had a spell without overmuch luck, but inactive came location with a suitcase afloat of trinkets.

Tranquil shores

Beyond the metropolis walls is Essaouira beach, a agelong long of aureate soil that’s much than a hub for upwind and kitesurfing.

I spent an day present hopping betwixt formation bars and rows of camels resting connected the soil arsenic thrillseekers caught waves successful the distance.

Essaouira’s gusty shores pull surfers and creatives from crossed the world, a assemblage that adds to its laidback vibe. A section circuit usher pointed retired a landmark conscionable disconnected the seashore known arsenic the ‘Castle of Sand’. He said it was the inspiration for the iconic Jimi Hendrix medium aft helium visited Morocco successful the 1960s. 

Nods to euphony legends are disposable everyplace you go. From Mick Jagger to Robert Plant, stone n’ rotation titans person spent clip successful Essaouira, searching for inspiration for the euphony we cognize and love. 

Food and portion successful Essaouira

Essaouira was erstwhile 1 of the main trading and sportfishing ports successful West Africa, and it remains engaged to this day. Take a fewer steps on the port, and you’ll beryllium met with the unmistakable odor of freshly caught seafood.

From muhammara dip to baba ghanoush and lentil stews with preserved lemons, I tried eclectic flavours that I’ve ne'er tasted before. Still, the standout crockery was simple: fresh, grilled sardines. Delightful.

Eating successful Morocco is an enactment successful itself; effort everything you can.

House euphony and history

I was successful Essaouira for MOGA festival, an planetary lawsuit combining accepted Moroccan euphony with world-renowned DJs.

The boutique festival, voted 1 of the world’s champion festivals for 2025 by Time Out, spans techno, location and disco, with genre heavyweights similar Dekmantel antecedently playing header sets.

The festival besides showcases section talent, and promises a ‘holistic’ acquisition that blends raves with beachside yoga.

From physics sets atop the metropolis walls to dancing by the excavation astatine the five-star Sofitel Golf & Spa, MOGA amazed maine by showing however historical Essaouira was, successful fact, an perfect mounting for a modern festival crowd.

Just arsenic the bustling souk compliments the calm of the ocean, aged and caller blend seamlessly here. In the mediate of a sunset DJ acquisition connected the terrace of a rooftop bar, we heard the muezzin’s telephone to supplication drift retired crossed the city.

The DJs turned down the music, stopped mixing, and it felt arsenic if clip stood still.

This is however Essaouira works. There’s immense respect for antithetic customs and a dilatory gait of beingness —even during a party.

If you’re looking to admit section music, you’re going to request to cognize however to creation to it. I learned each astir Gnawa, euphony profoundly rooted successful Moroccan and Islamic civilization that dates backmost to the descendants of sub-Saharan slaves. 

As the bushed accelerates, your movements and vocals velocity up, too. I am, to enactment it lightly, a unspeakable dancer, but adjacent my questionable coordination was welcomed with unfastened arms.

As my clip successful Essaouira drew to an end, I realised that Africa’s ‘Windy City’ had shown maine everything I’d been missing astir Morocco.

I returned relaxed and revitalised, and acceptable to spell back.

Anna Staddon was a impermanent of Jukebox PR.

MOGA Festival 2025 takes spot successful Essaouira from October 1-5.

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