MAROC AND ROLLERS!
A new f light makes Essaouira on Morocco’s surf coast an easy, exotic sunshine escape
Morocco is a funny country, said our guide, Faical. ‘We are Muslims, but we like our wine.’ That sums up Morocco. Bordered by the Sahara to the south, the sea to the north and west, and to the east a closed border with Algeria, it’s always depended on trade.
The country has become a mishmash of cultures, and the town of Essaouira is a perfect example of this mix.
on the Atlantic coast between casablanca and Agadir, it has a long history of Jewish-Muslim relations, but has also been influenced by the Portuguese, French, Arabs and Berbers.
In the Sixties, it was a favourite haunt of hippies, and locals still embrace the bohemian vibe, with many young Essaouirans sporting a Jimi Hendrix-style afro.
But until now, getting there has meant a three-hour drive from Marrakech. Thanks to easyJet’s newest route, it’s a twice-weekly direct flight from Luton, making the town far more accessible for a long weekend away.
Arriving at the Sofitel Mogador in time for lunch (another short break bonus: Essaouira and Britain are in the same time zone), we promptly head into town — a ten-minute drive away, with regular shuttles.
In the port bob a few hundred bright blue boats, which return every morning laden with sardines. Behind the harbour is a bunch of wooden huts with freshly caught prawns, sea bass and squid on display.
‘What’s your name?’ we asked the man wielding a lobster halfheartedly waving its claws at us.
‘romeo,’ he replied. It turned out to be Yasin, but romeo will do.
We wandered along the ramparts of the old town — standing on the citadel, I thought for one moment I might be blown away and end up as supper for the screeching seagulls — and peered into the shops selling everything from leather slippers to local art, spices and tagine pots.
Unlike Marrakech, where a visitor is under constant pressure to buy, here the atmosphere is far more mellow. If you simply want to browse, no problem.
At supper a local asked me about the next morning’s riding trip. ‘Are you going to ride a camel or a horse?’ A horse, I thought. I’d ridden camels before and thought a beach ride on a Moroccan horse would be more exciting.
‘Ah, but our camels are very good for selfie photos,’ he replied. A valid point — and I have the photos to prove it.
So, while the camel riders travelled in a swaying caravan through the sand dunes, my fellow horse riders and I galloped along the sand through the morning mist with the waves of the Atlantic crashing alongside us.
Afterwards, my horse calypso and I trotted home past the ruins of the Sultan’s Palace, where Jimi Hendrix is said to have jammed on his guitar in 1969.
You’ll see camels all along the main beach in town and they are fine for a quick plod, but for something more exhilarating, head to Equi Evasion, a ten-minute drive away in Diabat. There, owner Jawad will supply you with one of his Arabian horses — all stallions since the Bedouin believe that gelding a horse removes its spirit.
Not for nothing is Essaouira known as ‘the windy city’ — and it explains why the town is famed for its kite-surfing.
Explora Morocco organises kitesurfing, surfing and windsurfing lessons, with options ranging from two-hour taster sessions to intensive week-long courses.
There aren’t many places you can surf under the watchful eyes of a herd of camels, but this is one of them.
THE beach is protected by the island of Mogador — once a prison, now a bird sanctuary — making the surf perfect for beginners. We opted for a taster surf lesson and our teacher, rachid, soon had everyone standing on their boards. (Apparently, the trick is to ‘pretend that your surfboard is your boyfriend’.)
one side- effect of the wind is that it does a very good job of masking the power of the African sun. Having acquired an impressive farmer’s tan on day one, I had intended to spend an afternoon evening it out. But there was so much to do that I never got round to sunbathing.
on our final afternoon, others opted for an Arabic Hammam spa treatment in the Heure Bleue Palais, using the Argan oil that is a regional speciality.
I decided to hone my surfing skills instead and headed for the beach.
Not to worry, my suntan can wait. The seagulls (and a weeklong kite- surfing course) are calling. TRAVEL FACTS EASYJET ( easyjet.com) has four nights B&B at the five-star Sofitel Essaouira Mogador Golf and Spa Hotel, departing from Luton from £266 pp, including return flights, based on departures on June 8. Explora Morocco: explora morocco.com; Equi Evasion: equi-evasion.com