Riad Arambys
The scenery on the three hour bus trip from Marrakech was flat and uninspiring, a continuation of sparse vegetation on a background that changed from the red sand that rose to the buildings of Marrakech to the creams that would become the Essaouira skyline. The bus was modern and full, a mix of Europeans and North Africans. Our one stop for a coffee break at the Atlas café was manic – two bus loads of people wanting coffee and snacks with a 20 minute break. The staff were on the run, literally, as they took advantage of a captive audience.
Coming into Essaouira is pretty after the drive. White and beige buildings, with a spattering of darker sandstone create a fresh façade leading to an extensive, and busy, beach. Hundreds of people peppered the creamy sand and the wind blowing the trees provided the many kite surfers the power they needed to skim across the calm waters of the sea. As we reversed into the bus terminal – a basic shack-like building at the end of a single lane road – the local cart drivers swarmed to offer their services to the passengers. We had already arranged with our Riad to have a cart driver to meet us and guide us to the Arambys Riad and he was there and waiting with a hand written card. Of course, my name was spelled incorrectly – Cherly – but it worked.
Although it was two o’clock, the temperature was glorious and the sea breeze slightly chilly. This is the heart of summer and already we appreciate the break from the heat of Marrakech. We followed our guide through the narrow lanes of the Medina, which we already sense is very different to the Medina in Marrakech. The lanes are wider, less crowded and the souk owners are much less persistent. The Medina is much more open to the sky and feels fresher and cleaner, less oppressive.
We entered a covered, darker lane and our cart driver stops in front of a wooden door with a welcoming sign overhead – Riad Arambys. It had taken less than 10 minutes to get here and we entered the Riad which is just delightful. A lush garden in the courtyard with a lovely seating area where we were greeted with mint tea and Moroccan pastries. Our host speaks some English and we share the usual introductory information about where we are from and where we have been. This is so much nicer than our early morning start in Marrakech.
We are two flights of stairs up from the courtyard and our room is delightful. We set off to explore the Riad and it looks like we are the only guests, so peace and quiet are guaranteed for a while at least. The terrace area is lovely, with tables and chairs and sun loungers which look very comfortable. The Riad looks fresh and well maintained, spotlessly clean and great views across the city and towards the beach, which is not far away at all. It is windy, typical of Essaouira apparently, but it is a cool wind, not a hot wind like that in Marrakech.
We set off to explore the Medina and wandered along the main ‘street’ which is crowded with a mix of people from around the world. As we turned right from our lane and moved down the street the feel becomes shabbier and there are more sardine sellers and grill kitchens. The buildings lining the street become more derelict and many are empty. I wonder if this is a result of Covid and recovery is still to happen? We walk through the gate and out of the Medina but there is little of interest to keep us here, so we turn back and retrace our steps.
At the other end of the street, we walk through the large gate and enter into an open space that is lined with art and women corn-rowing hair. There is a busker who enthusiastically sings and plays his guitar and the atmosphere has shifted to a holiday buzz. White buildings extend up to the azure sky and the bubble-blower sellers fill the air with rainbow balls. Our meandering leads us to the walls surrounding the open space and we look out over the rocky shoreline, late 18th century fort gates framing the view.
There are tents selling seafood and we walk pass men making repairs on some of the small blue fishing boats that bring fresh catches to the markets. The small marina looks clean and the calls of huge brown and white seagulls add to the seaside atmosphere. These seagulls look very different to the Australian ones we are familiar with, and are almost twice the size. Definitely need to dodge their bombs as they fly overhead!
So far we like the feel of Essaouira, and especially like the weather. It is chilly enough to ear long sleeves when we head off in search of dinner. Unlike Marrakech, there are not strings off competitive restaurants to choose from; here it is more a case of wandering the lanes to choose between the ‘hole-in-the-wall’ kitchens and the spattering of sit-down service restaurants. There are plenty to choose from though and we decide to follow a sign to the Restaurant Baghdad. It looks nice, so we sit down and wait in anticipation for our meals. Colin orders grilled shrimp while I keep safe with beef skewers and salad.
Competition is important and as soon as we saw staff leave the restaurant in a rush, we wondered exactly where our meals were going to come from. We were right to be concerned. My skewers were ok, the chips were dismal, but poor Colin was presented with a bowl of mushy shrimp that looked like they had been boiled several times. All in all it was a dismal meal and it reinforced our rule of only eating where there are plenty of people in the restaurant. Thankfully, we got away with our stomachs intact.
Essaouira is a beach holiday destination that looks like it is past its hay day. Many of the buildings are whitewashed with blue trim, rather like Greece, but there is an air of shabbiness that pervades the town. Many buildings need to be repainted and the beach front is quite basic, with the odd vendor selling yummy chickpeas and popcorn. Commerce doesn’t seem to be the aim with beachgoers able to hire umbrellas and beds; the few restaurants are expensive but popular with European tourists. The feel is much more French than Arabic and the first language offered by souk owners is French. There is more of an artistic vibe, with art studios tucked away in the lanes in the Medina, and art sold throughout. The clothing offered is also much more African and local sewing merchants can be seen making the range of clothing on offer. It’s nice – it feels more authentic than the commercial ‘made-in-China’ feel that pervades the Medina in Marrakech.
Our second foray into dinner lead us to La Casa Restaurant, in the lane across from our lane. We opted for the set menu of Moroccan salad, a choice of tagines and dessert of cinnamon orange. We braved the sardine tagine as sardines are a common commodity. We were shown the traditional way of preparing our mint tea – pour a glass and empty it back into the pot three times. I don’t know if it made a difference, or whether our previous mint teas came to us already ‘prepped’. This was a much nicer meal than last night, although sardine meat balls are unlikely to make it into my top 10 favourite meals. One of the best meals we had was in our little alley street restaurant. We have been to this little place for tea and coffee a number of times, and watch so many people have the Harira (a lentil and chickpea soup) with the flat breads. Now it was our turn. When we arrived and seated ourselves, our usual host came out to take our order, and this time he even had a small smile of recognition. When we ordered our meal, we got a beaming smile. At last! The soup is delicious and filling and paired with the vegetable Msemen (flat bread) very filling. And the price was right – 50 dirham for the soup, bread, tea and coffee, as well as a tip.
Breakfast is served in the breakfast room on the top floor of our Riad. Lots of bread – croissants, buns, French stick accompanied by jams, cheese and sometimes fruit. Our host cooks an omelette and a Moroccan crepe if we ask. It’s not as nice or varied as the breakfast at Riad dar Hamid, but still heavy on breads, and more than enough food. After nearly three weeks of similar breakfasts, we are both keen for a bowl of cereal!
If you are not into beach activities or kite surfing, there is not an awful lot to do in Essaouira other than relax and enjoy the sights and flavours of the Medina. Our excursion to explore away from the Medina and beach front to wander the nearby city streets did little to excite us. We did find the morgue, which was next to Haemdialyse – maybe dialysis isn’t successful in Morocco? – and discovered that the shabbiness extends away from the touristy areas of the city.
The fort is very well maintained and once we stumbled onto the way onto the ramparts, we enjoyed great views. There are still a lot of the cannons jutting through the fort and combined with the rocky shoreline, any ships that dared to approach would have been hard-pressed to land. All in all, the shoreline and the profile of the forts make for some lovely sunsets.
We’ve been much braver to try the street food here. The heat in Marrakech and questionable storage of food meant we were much more cautious. The flat breads, pastries and nougats get the thumbs up. I’ve also tried the grilled meats and Colin has had some good sandwiches. Colin was looking forward to the seafood, but, again, storage and freshness are questionable, so perhaps we will wait until Tangier to try this particular gastronomic delight.
Our week in Essaouira has been relaxing and recharging. I think our host wonders why we are hear as we have spent so much time in the Riad, but it is just such a lovely home away from home. Our hosts are lovely as are the people of Essaouira and we have enjoyed not being hounded to buy goods. A week is probably too long to be here, but we’re not in a rush and our time is not as precious as if we were on a holiday. We will leave Essaouira with fond memories.
Next stop – Rabat.