Following my review on Marrakech, I thought I would share our experiences of our DIY trip to the Moroccan seaside town of Essaouira. I promise it will be my last on the subject
We went and booked bus tickets ourselves, and our chosen bus was full which was a real disappointment till we were informed that the "comfort plus" bus had seats still, and at a pound each more, I thought to hell with the expense. Let's all have a big reclining seat and aircon. Making the price per ticket for a three hour journey around £9. Another walled city, like a mini Marrakech-on-sea, with the advantage of a beach and a most welcome sea breeze. Another medina, this one quieter, almost hassle free and relaxed.
We booked the hotel, the amazingly authentic Palazzo Desdemona inside the ancient city walls at Booking.com:
Our room was fabulous, with a second bedroom through a heavy old arch
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Our romantic four poster plans were scuppered when the kids fell in love with the bed:
Our room overlooked the back alley inside the walls and we had an "estate agents sea view" for those with a head for heights and a flexible neck:
The beach was stunning, and floodlit after dark - it really stayed buzzing at night due to this. I think we are pretty much facing Madeira out to sea to the west:
If only the guys in Marrakech realised how well they could do, if they just left people alone to browse. Here are some general photos of our shopping expedition:
Oh, and how much would you have to pay to stay in a traditional, comfortable, stunning hotel inside the walls of the city, 5 minutes walk from that beach and literally steps from the medina and markets? Well, a double room with private bathroom and breakfast will cost you at least £31.
Front of hotel
