(Photo - Marla on top of Sultan's Palace)

Walk to Essaouira's Sultan's Palace

Whether you come for a week or a day, Esssaouira is a wonderful city. I first came to the city in 2001, and have come back every year since. I spend at least 3 months a year in Souira and know the city and surrounding area very well. If you have the time, here are a few lesser known places you might like to visit. Enjoy!

The Fish Market – Essaouira was the first commercial fishing port in Morocco and it was built around 1875. No trip to Essaouira would be complete with a walk around the port to look at all of the boats and busy fishermen. If you want to see the fish, the very best place is the Government Fish Weigh Station and Auction House, otherwise known as the Fish Market. All of the fish that are caught by the Essaouira fleet are brought to the market to be weighed, taxed and then sold. If you are lucky, and you go late in the afternoon when lots of boats have come in, the fish market will be packed with fish and fishermen. The auctions are held in the center of the big room. Each batch of fish is clearly marked with weight, the buyers stand outside the circle yelling, and the guy in the white jacket takes the bids. Very exciting! I have seen at least 30 different kinds of fish in the market including several kinds of sharks. Being a surfer, I’m always interested in the ones with sharp teeth!

Directions: Walk towards the port from the Place Moulay Hassan. About the same time that the sea wall on the right ends, look left and you will see the outdoor fish market. Turn left down that street and about 20 feet on the right you will see big metal doors. No sign, just go right in. The main scale is just through the doors.

The Sultan’s Palace - I really love visiting this old ruin. The whole area has quite a history, but not and exact one. As with most things here, each person you ask seems to have a different story to tell about any one thing. A guy who works at the Ocean Vagabond told me it was Jimi Hendrix’s house, of all things. The guy’s at my French school told me that is was built in the 1700 by big sultan in the area. He was the ruler of Mogador and, at the time, the River Ksab actually flowed on the Diabet side of the Palace. Whatever the history, the palace has a wonderful view of Essaouira, the Isle de Mogador and the Atlantic. Be sure to wander around and stick your head into all of the old buildings.

Directions: Walk down Essaouira Beach towards the Ruin on the Beach (The Castle Made of Sand). When you reach the river, you will see the Sultan’s Palace on a hill on the left just on the other side of the river. Cross the river (easiest at high tide, if river is too deep to cross to will have to go around to the bridge near Diabet) and there are many little trails that lead to the Castle. Of course, you can always just hire a camel!

The Café De France – The oldest and best café in the Place Moulay Hassan is the Café De France. Any old pictures of the Place that you see will always show the Café. They also have the best coffee in town. At least an hour each day must be spent sipping coffee and watching the people go by. It’s an Essaouira tradition! Order a “Noose Noose,� half milk and half coffee and you will not be disappointed. The best thing is if you want to bet on the horses at Vincennes, you can do that too! The Café de France is located just to the Left of the Hotel Beau Rivage and across from the snacks.

Weather - Spring is here and the weather is warm. There will be a 1.5 meter swell all week and the surf will be best in the mornings on the bay. The afternoons will be great for windsports. Have fun in our fabulous city!

Check the surf in Essaouira:

http://www.windguru.com/int/index.php?sc=26

Check the Weather in Essaouira:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=essaouira

 

Next Week: Trek to the Sultan's Palace

Current Events:

The Alliance Françoise is hosting the exhibition «Corps et signes» by Mustapha Rafik - from March 2 to the 24th. **Note - The April exposition has not been announced.

For at full schedule of events at the Alliance Françoise, go to their website at:

http://www.ambafrance-ma.org/institut/afm-essaouira/index.cfm?num=948&archive...

The Alliance Françoise is located on Rue Laalouj not far from Dar Suki.

Upcoming Events

The Alizes Classical Music Festival 2007 April 19 -22. I was at this festival last year and it was really fantastic. For all information go to the official websight at: http://www.alizesfestival.com/

10th Annual Essaouira International Gnaoua Festival 2007 June 19 - 23. For all information go to the official websight at: http://www.festival-gnaoua.co.ma/

Blog Posted each Monday by Ron Bauer, see you soon!