During a first visit, one is both surprised and amazed by this ancient Portuguese city. Today listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was long named Mogador, name derived from the Phoenician word Migdol which means "little fortress".

The fort that remains and commands the entrance to the port evokes the establishment of the Portuguese. An architecture reminiscent of Belém Tower, on the banks of the Tagus. The beach to the west is as attractive as that of Agadir, less populated.

Touristy, but with a soul

And the city has a signature, all in blue and white. Touristic certainly, but with a soul. Orson Welles and Jimmy Hendrix (as well as the hippie movement in general) were seduced by Essaouira. We fall into the same "trap" with delight. Galleries of art, rugs and artisan objects abound.

Small picture rails fitted out in the west door present, for example, figurative and ethereal works. A gouache by the Moroccan artist named Amina and representing a city - and a country - under construction comes from this gallery. It is exposed facing the staircase that goes up from the kitchen to our Marrakech suite.

An exceptional example of a fortified city

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the medina of Essaouira is an exceptional fortified city from the middle of the 18th century, surrounded by a Vauban-style wall. Originally Portuguese, it was built under the Alaouite Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah (1757-1790), distant ancestor of King Mohammed VI, according to the principles of European military architecture of the time, in perfect association with the precepts of Arab-Muslim architecture and town planning. 

Long known as the Port of Timbuktu, Essaouira became one of the centerpieces of Atlantic trade between Africa and Europe at the end of the 18th century and during the 19th century. It played the role of a leading international trading port linking Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa to Europe and the rest of the world. It is now largely supplanted by Agadir.