So like I was saying, after Marrakesh we took a road trip out to the coast to Essaouira, which is a bit of a funny place. Known as Morocco’s windy city, it was a bit of a hippy hot spot in the 60s and reputedly visited by Hendrix. When you visit, you can see that it would have once been a really charming place, but it’s reputation as a chilled holiday spot has led to it being over developed, which is a bit of a shame.
To be honest, after Marrakesh it felt a bit like arriving in a faded seaside town like Hastings or Grimsby (no offense to the residents of either), but after spending a few days there, we both developed a soft spot for Essaouira, and this was in no small part due to what we ate.
Having been so spoiled for good food in Marrakesh, and falling in love with the stalls on Jamaa Al Fnaa, we thought that it would probably be downhill from there, but that really wasn’t the case. We ate really well in Essaouira, and discovered some great places to get stuffed.
The first meal we had was at one of the fish stalls near the sea wall. Probably the closest thing Essaouira has to the food stalls in Marrakesh, there are 30 or so of them that sell the catch of the day, each and every day, simply grilled over coals. The owners stand out of the front, showing off their wares and giving passers by the hard sell.
