Letters from Morocco: Essaouira, Blue Diamond of Atlantic Ocean

Hello, my dear adventurers, how are you today? I sincerely hope that you are all good and that you have found a way to relax and find some nice and cool solution to defeat this boring heat. Last week, I promised you the continuation of adventure in Morocco. Today I am continuing the story about Essaouira, an interesting and lovely fishing town on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Are you ready for a new adventure? If your answer is YES! This is the right way to say bye to this very warm July and refresh yourself with this blue refreshing city known as the Essaouira.

Who had the opportunity to read my previous story from Morocco – LINK, you probably read the story about this interesting city. It’s not a problem I will repeat it again. ?

Essaouira is a lovely fishing town. Due to climatic conditions, Essaouira received a nice nickname “The City of the Winds”. There is a very interesting festival that is organized every year in autumn and is dedicated to all kites lovers. This time I did not have the opportunity to feel that adrenaline, but I enjoyed the beautiful pictures shown by our guides from the Tourist Organization of Essaouira.

I learned a few more interesting things about this unusual city. Did you know that this city was previously named by the Portuguese name Mogador, which in the Berber language means THE WALL, because the Portuguese Mogador was strongly fortified. Just because of these walls, Essaouira has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Africa in 2001. I would like to say thank you again to my friends from the National Tourist office of the Kingdom of Morocco on this wonderful journey and an adventure that I will remember for a long time!

This “Blue” city attracts an increasing number of tourists each year with its unusual beauty and history. We spent a couple of days in this city and I have to admit that I loved Morocco because of people and their interesting stories. Not only that, but also their cordiality. Most people, vendors on the streets, fishermen when they heard that we came to the Morocco because  the Tourist Organization of the Kingdom of Morocco has invited us, immediately they offered to help us in any way and of course to try their nice products.

If I had accepted all those who offered me their products, I really do not know how to get back to Serbia. That number of suitcases would exceed all expectations, but thanks to God, I managed to explain to them that I do not have the place to carry those things and I left them to run their little interesting open-air shops.

I couldn’t refuse two people in this city. The first one was an elderly experienced fisherman who gave us fish, it’s a great gift. Thanks to Saul’s knowledge of French, besides the gift, we learned a few interesting things about fishing and about the history of Essaouira. The other person was a kind woman, who sold tea that spotted us in the main street while we were making the photos, she asked us what we were doing and whether if we were in the mood for tea, we could come to visit her lovely shop.

Of course, again, Saul was a life saver, because I understand the French language a little, I remember a bit of what I learned in my childhood, but of course not enough. After a couple of cups of tea and good stories, we continued the exploration of this Moroccan city.

The walls of this city are incredible, they hide some interesting stories that only wait patient adventurers, eager adventures to “hear” all of them. It’s hard to say that the view from the main wall is absolutely divine, there is the biggest blow of the wind and after that walk for 3 hours I tried to come to myself, but it was definitely worth it. If I need to go there again, I would definitely do that!

This view is absolutely priceless, if you come to Essaouira you must pay a visit there, especially in the morning. The sound of the ocean that passes through clay vases is a magical, unusual melody, a real symphony. After a walk we decided to go back to the hotel and fill our “batteries”.

After a good rest, as you can see, the smile returned to my face. I would like to thank the Sofitel Essaouira Mogador Hotel for hospitality and they were so nice and kind to answer any of my boring questions. Of course, people took my love for pizza seriously, so they made me a special Moroccan Happy Pizza! Happiness, happiness! An experience to remember! Thank you guys, you are the best!

After relaxing and cheerful time in the hotel our guides decided to take us back to the city to visit one interesting music festival. Gnaoua World Music Festival presents a music treasure that contains elements of jazz, pop and rock music and continues to explore some new music genres. An interesting event that brings together artists from around the world with famous artists who are members of the Moroccan ethnic group of people known as Gnaou or Gnawa. We had amazing time there and we had chance to hear a real music fusion!

When I got the invitation for this magical journey to Morocco and they also told me that I will have the opportunity to attend one such event where the pure and clean arts are only preserved, where other elements are not involved, which can otherwise spoil the beauty of art, as it is sometimes done by politics. I have to admit that I am not otherwise an expert in music art, but I just wanted to discover something new and to hear those exotic sounds, because I imagined it in my mind in a completely different way.

The Gnaoua Music Festival definitely changed my mind and solved all my concerns about this kind of music. Morocco is a country that has remained faithful to tradition, but with the advent of a new era, they have simply accepted the new things with a smile on their face and with an open heart, and now they successfully interact with their traditional culture and beliefs.

These unusual sounds made me happy for two nights that I spent in this unusual city of Morocco. Otherwise I have trouble with insomnia when I’m on the trip, but I admit that this time it was not the case and that I slept nicely. Finally, on this trip I didn’t have those dark circles below the eyes, which worry the people around you, so everybody asks you a few times if you’re okay.

In Morocco I also had a nice tan, a good dream, and in one of the hotels I had a phenomenal face cream, imagine when I asked at the reception which cream is that as a simple question, as response I got supplies for a long time. Argan oil is really helpful, it is not some fairy tale story for young children! ?

The last day in Essaouira was fantastic, after a delicious breakfast, Saul and I decided to say nice Bye to this lovely city and we wanted to use the morning sun, photographers would always suggest that the best pictures are made between 7am and 9am in the morning, if we are talking about summer time and after five o’clock in the afternoon. Whoever did not know, just try the legend that the shadows are in the right place and that the photos are the best. Is there anything else that you can learn useful in my posts? ?

The soul of this city are small streets that you can notice from the main streets, where you can see that true everyday life in Morocco. This cheerful small street gave some special inspiration to me and this lady asked us to publish pictures where her face is not visible because her dress was very interesting to us. She was very nice and kind woman who wanted to help us and she posed for us for a few minutes and Saul even made a picture in the nearby store that she will have for a memory. I think those tears of joy and happiness were the best indicator how she liked her photo.

My dear travellers once again we have come to the end of post. Time just flies so fast when you are having a good time! Don’t worry in a couple of days I will publish a new post where we will continue together to enjoy the charms of traveling and we will continue our adventure in Morocco.

How do you like this story about Essaouira? I would like to hear your opinion! If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me, you can write me down in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via mail or social media, which you can find on the CONTACT page.

As I promised we’ll see again in a couple of days, so if something new and interesting happens to me, I promise, I will write to you!

Best,

Mr.M

Photographer: Saul Aguilar – Instagram: @saaggo

Cameras: Sony Alpha 7r i Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

This post is sponsored by National Tourist Office of Kingdom of Morocco, Tourism Board of city of Essaouira, Gnaoua World Music Festival and Sofitel Magador Essaouira Hotel from Accor Hotels chain. For all these beautiful photos I used Sony Alpha 7r and Saul used Canon EOS 5D Mark IV.