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Essaouira – Moroccan Town with a Portuguese Touch

The Epoch Times offers a glimpse of an often overlooked destination in Morocco, Essaouira:

Epoch Times

Essaouira, Morocco. Photo: bourget_82

Essaouira, Morocco. Photo: bourget_82

Essaouira is a beautiful coastal town in Eastern Morocco, very easily accessible from nearby cities, like Marrakesh or Casablanca. Surprisingly, its climate is much milder than in the rest of the country, so if you are looking for an escape from the scorching Moroccan heat, Essaouira is a great choice! Even in the summer, the high temperature averages are well below 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). When I got there, early may, Essaouira was immersed in fog and it was only around 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit), while in Marrakesh – 32 degrees Celsius. Also, the town has a different, colonial, old-European feel. Less chaotic and more relaxing than Marrakesh, with amazing architecture and many beautiful local shops with hand made craft items, should be visited for at least day or two during your stay in Marrakesh.

The cheapest and the best option is to get from Marrakesh by bus. There are two companies: Supratous and that run services between Marrakesh and Essaouira for only 70 MAD one way (6.30 EUR/8.50 USD) + 5 MAD for a piece of luggage. Supratour office is located near the main train station in Marrakesh. There are several buses a day, a few in the morning almost every hour and then less frequently. It is necessary to book the tickets a day before as when they are sold out you can’t go. However, there’s another option, you can take a taxi for a reasonable price (after bargaining of course). If you travel alone, you can wait for more tourists, they come to the station all the time, so it’s easy to join some of them and rent a taxi together. Taxi for 4 persons should cost not more than 700 MAD. The journey takes about 2.5 hours with a short stop at a cafe.

Accommodation in Essaouira, as in all Morocco is cheap and affordable, however you won’t find hostels here. It doesn’t really matter as you can find an amazing double-bed room in a nice hotel in the old part of the city for only around 10 EUR/14 USD. Breakfast will usually be included and the building will be beautifully decorated, typical oriental Moroccan style, it will be a real pleasure to stay there. High rank, luxurious, typical western-style hotels are also available but I would recommend one of those in the old town as you can feel the atmosphere of the place much better…[Full Article]

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