Essaouira was magic in 1990 when I first came here. Tall white houses, yellow details and blue doors. I could walk the narrow streets over and over again, before I always ended down at the ramparts that protect most of the town. Essaouira was quiet and friendly. But without much facilities, and the restaurant food was dreadful.
Essaouira is still fantastic. Perhaps even better? But it is not that quiet anymore. Tourists are more and more moving in, and souvenir stalls pop up, together with many good restaurants.
Facilities are getting better, and it appears that some of the money is put into making Essaouira more beautiful.
Essaouira is a place with a strong feeling of its past. It has been a trading post for almost 3000 years, starting with the Phoenicians. But the town as it now appears is far younger, about 200 years. The architect who designed the ramparts was French, a clear suggestion of constant international feeling of Essaouira.
Essaouira has a nice little collection of sights. None impressive, but all of great aesthetical value. The walled white town, the ramparts, the harbour and the streets of craftsmen working behind open doors.
Today there are even some artists that have come to Essaouira too, giving the town even one more dimension. Essaouira deserves its visitor's attention, and it is one of the best places to hang around.
