Rainy Day Reads

Essaouira is an idyllic little town on the west coast of Morocco. It is conveniently  located just a few hours drive from Marrakech, and a lot of Moroccans use it as a weekend getaway.  I went there in 2015 on my Morocco roundtrip and you can read a more detailed “review” here ! As I said above Essaouira is a lovely little city, famous for its laid back vibe and hippie feel. We spent the days just relaxing and enjoying the fresh breeze after having been roasted in the desert and baked in the hot cities of Morocco.  The history of the city can be traced back to prehistoric times. The bay is sheltered which means the harbour is protected against the strong winds from the Atlantic. Essaouira, consequently, has always been a busy trading port with visits from the Carthaginians, the Romans and the Portuguese among others. In the 16th century European powers repeatedly tried to seize the city, but in vain.  The city we see today was bu...

After visiting Aït Ben Haddou we headed to the mountains for a fix of nature. We drove to Imlil and here we hired donkeys to transport our day packs, while we trekked for about an hour uphill to the small village of Armed. In Imlil it is possible to rent hiking sticks if you need them. The track was not overly demanding, but there were still som tricky patches, where it was quite gravelly and you had to be careful not to slip. Anyone of average fitness would be able to handle this hike. Coming down the mountain the next day we went by a different route, which included a river crossing. I only had one pair of shoes, so I decided to go barefoot in the icy waters. This was fine, except I got a lot of sand in my shoes, when I put my semi-wet feet back in. As for the weather is was warm during the day, but it got a little chilly during the night and in the morning, so it is advisable to bring a thick sweater or a light jacket to keep warm.   Auberge Azizi We s...