Essaouira's Blue

Essaouira, Morocco - Can a place be remembered for its colours? Santorini (Greece), Tzfat (Israel), Obidos (Portugal), Sidi Bou Said (Tunisia), Chefchaouen (Morocco) have what in common with Essaouira (Morocco)? Judging by the skin of these towns and the way throngs move in, the world is smitten by these hinterlands awashed in classic blue and white hues.

Essaouira, a UNESCO World Heritage site on Morocco's windy Atlantic Coast, has an exceptional sampling of windows and doors smeared in this beloved sapphirine shade. Vivid and picturesque, Essaouira's sea-battered port town has not only attracted busloads of tourists, but also film crews who come by the truckloads.

However, it was the Phoenicians who founded this settlement, Migdol, in the 7th century BC for the prized purple dye of its local murex and purpura shells. By the 15th century, the seafaring Portuguese had descended into town and called it Mogador. But when Mogador fell to Saadians hands in 1541, Essaouira had become a sleepy backwater until a certain Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah hired a French architect to rebuild its port in the late 18th century. It was then that Mogador was renamed Essaouira, meaning 'the beautifully designed'. The port flourished as goods were transported from Timbuktu, Mali through the Sahara Desert to Essaouira and its final post in Marrakech. From gold to spice, and ivory to ostrich feather, many brought their precious cargoes, until 1912, when the French Protectorate had diverted business to Tangier and Casablanca to the north, and Agadir to the south.

From the hippies of the 60's and 70's to backbackers and vagabonds of late, Essaouira had once again been reborn as a destination with a proclivity towards insouciance. Gone are the caravans of old; only local fishers, craftsmakers, and artists remain for the entertainment of holidaymakers in the know.

Aside from the blowing alizee that's suitable for windsurfing, the bustle of the medina, mellah and the souks, people also come to Essaouira for its beautiful blue doors and, of course, the Gnaoua World Music Festival held each year in June. This 2009, it will be on June 25-29.

Where to find these blue doors: Rue de la Skala, Avenue Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah, Avenue de l'Istiqlal, and the meandering alleys that slither off these roads.

How to get to Essaouira from Marrakech: Supratours on Avenue Hassan II in Marrakech have air-conditioned buses 4x/day to Essaouira at 9 am, 11 am, 3 pm, 5 pm (times may vary, so please check ahead). The journey is 2-1/2 hours long with a short toilet / restaurant break. Price for this leg is 165 dirhams (approximately $23 CAD or $20 US).

Taxi to Supratours from Marrakech Medina can be anywhere from 15 dirhams (from honest taxi drivers) to 30 dirhams (from entrepreneurial folks) or 60 dirhams (from the downright dirty ones)!

Do you know of any other places in the world that's painted blue and white?