See Morocco, One Of The World's Most Popular Tourist Destinations In 2 Weeks 7/2023 (Stop 9 - Essaouira)

5-6 July 2023 From inland Marakech, I now took a bus westward toward the coast to Essaouira, about 2 hours away.

In Marrakech, the heat was scorching. Just 2 hours away, Essaouira was semi-arid and sunny but chilly; the wind was so blustery I had to put on my windbreaker.

The old city walls were barely able to hold the historical markets, old houses, cobblestone streets, and the crowd in. The houses were separated by narrow alleys, and the streets were lined with shops displaying a dizzying range of products, people jostled each other, and the city gates often became bottlenecks.

The street near the old fortress by the sea

The historical rampart provides the vantage point to see the sea. The wind howled, the seagulls protested vociferously, struggling to maintain balance in the turbulence in mid-air. The sea was still determined to wear down the rocks, no matter how long it took. The evening came, the tide went out, and the rocks revealed themselves in full. The sea has called it a day, to restart the next day. The public beach in the city center was wide and sandy, and the sea here was much better behaved, making it a playground for all.