Essaouira was one of those "because we're here" stops, with nothing really special to see. In fact, compared to other places we visited, Essaouira is modern. It was built in the 19th Century on a French plan so the medina is less of a maze. It's most famous visitors are Orson Wells who filmed a bit of Othello here, when the hero was suspended in a cage from the medina walls, and Jimi Hendrix who may or may not have remembered visiting.
Wind-blown sand at sunset
The beach in Essaouira isn't for the faint of heart. It is the windiest place on the Atlantic coast, perfect for wind-surfers and kite-boarders, but sun-bathers will have the skin sandblasted off in minutes. All the sand in the air made for a surreal sunset. Essaouira has the best fed seagulls in North Africa - the thousands of cats seem content, too. The sights, sounds and smells of the fish market will remain with me (and in my clothing) for quite some time.
Essaouira harbor and fish market
The seafood restaurants that line the beach are quite expensive. We found a little hole-in-the-wall near our hotel where I had one of the simplest and most tastey meals of recent memory - lamb and plums cooked in the classic clay "tagine." And it was less than ten bucks!
