The Essaouria Citadel
April 12, 2010 by Anil P.
Filed under Pictures and Video, Travel Journal
Essaouria is a Moroccan coastal town on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It’s about a 3 hour drive from Marrakesh and the route is well known for its famous goats in trees – literally, the animals climb up there to eat the fruit from the argan tree. Unfortunately the only goats I saw were tethered to the trees by the local farmers looking to charge people passing by for pictures. It is a natural phenomenon though, albeit one I wasn’t lucky enough to see. (Although this cute little guy was kind enough to pose for me.)
Essaouira has a great fish market and lots of good restaurants by the water where you can try all sorts of fresh catch before wandering around the side streets in the medina. Shopping in Essaouria is fun especially if you like art; there small galleries all over the place. The shop owners are also much less aggressive than inside the walls of the medina in Marrakesh. Here are a few more of my pictures from Essaouria which include some of the crafts you’ll find there.
Giulia (32)
Theodora (28)
Erica Hargreave (21)
Barbara Weibel (9)
daniel (5)
Roy Marvelous (5)
On my visit to Morocco, I missed the goats in the trees. Another reason to return.
It’s the one thing I wanted to see, I had my eyes peeled. I bet had I stopped looking they would have been everywhere. Ah well, next time for us both!
I did see ONE goat in a tree! Haha! I loved Essaouira. If it’s good enough for Hendrix and Marley, it’s good enough for me!
Lucky!! Btw, there was a cool painting of Hendrix on this wall:
http://images.foxnomad.com/gallery2/v/essaouira_morocco/CIMG3039.JPG.html
I wish I had made it to Essaouria while I was in Morocco, but hopefully I’ll make the trip sometime soon
And by the way, that kitten is adorable!
He/she? came right up to me to strike a pose. His little sibling was cute too (the orange guy in the picture):
http://images.foxnomad.com/gallery2/v/essaouira_morocco/CIMG3054.JPG.html
Essaouria is one place I’d love to visit, it sounds to me like it has all the charming bits of Marakesh but a bit less intense and more relaxing. Love art galleries too.
Yes, it’s *much* more relaxed than Marrakesh. A very nice change of pace after a few days in the Marrakesh medina.
I have never thought of visiting Morocco until reading your various blog entries on this fine country. Now I find myself longing to go there
Good job!
It’s a great place to travel
I’d absolutely love to see a goat up a tree. What a great sounding city.
I bet the goats that get tied up there now regret ever showing that trick to the farmers!