Island Hopping 2024: Marrakech, Essaouira, Saying Goodbye

Leaving the hotel early, we hopped into a van to take the two hour trip to Essaouira, a smaller coastal town on Morocco’s Atlantic Coast.  This is a city that has gone through several iterations.  Established early as a trading post by the Phoenicians, followed later by the Carthaginians, then the Romans and then the Arabs.  For centuries Essaouira was Morocco’s foremost trading port.  Years of conflict, both internal and with the European powers, it became more and more a military base.  When colonization finally came, the importance of this port city declined to the point that it was more important as a fishing center than either a military base or a trading center.  Skip forward a couple of centuries and the hippies of the 60’s and 70’s find this place.  Wait a decade or two, and now the tourists start to arrive.  Tourism is the leading industry in Essaouira today.   

Essaouira's approach to the wall

The town sitting above the Atlantic

There were nice sandy beaches for the tourist, but below the fortress walls, a rocky shoreline

A gate to the city

Essaouira still stands ready to fight off those pesky Frenchmen

As the Cannoneer would see it

Once a thriving Jewish Quarter

I loved this fish market, could have spent hours here.  I think I ate one of these guys for lunch

Of course, souks here also (without motorcycles)

I just can't see enough of the Atlas Mountains

Back in Marrakech, we had a final get together with our travel group.  We collectively remembered the beautiful buildings and the broken elevators, the peaceful gardens and the anarchy on the streets, the precision of our tour operators and lost luggage, the remarkable meals and oranges falling from the sky and, of course, the friendships we made with the Moroccan people and our fellow travelers.  We said our goodbyes, exchanged eMail addresses and made promises that I hope we will all fulfill.

Judy addressing us all

While my pictures captured only some of us; without exception,

 every single group member was a wonderful travel companion.