Day 12 - Essaouira

Essaouira is the resort town for Marrakech, about 2.5h SW. It features a broad sandy beach on the Atlantic and a considerably more moderate climate. We made a stop at a women's cooperative that makes argan oil products. Despite the apparently conservative dress of most Moroccan women, they have considerably more rights than most non-western countries. A third of the legislature must be female, for instance. The coop gives jobs to divorced, widowed and otherwise needy women. You might know argan oil as a hair or skin product and it is also edible. This woman is crushing the nuts to extract the oil.





Goats love argan nuts so much that they'll climb trees for them. Yes it was a tourist trap but who could resist stopping their car to get a photo of this!






Essaouira is primarily a resort town. It features an impressive 15th century Portuguese fort as a stop on the Indian route. It's fisheries provided the best meal we had in Morocco.









Back in Marrakech, we headed off to Place Jemaa-el-Fnaa for the massive dusk market and entertainment. It is hard to explain the energy that comes from the locals and tourists who circle the music groups and snake charmers, it is definitely the way to sample the local cuisine.


Nearby is the grand Koutoubia mosque, the centre of ancient Marrakech. Study this photo. There will be a test when we reach Seville!

Location:Essaouira, Morocco