Jimi Hendrix wrote his song, “Castles in the Sand” in 1967,and that was two years before he actually visited Morocco. The site of “Castles in the Sand” was the then small town and fishing village of Essaouira on Morocco’s Atlantic Coast. The town has grown a lot in the intervening 35 years. It is relatively close to the capital Casablanca, built around a busy fishing port. Ironically Essaouira was one of only two ports in Morocco that were entitled to trade with Europe, and so in the past it had held a much more important role in Moroccan affairs than it does today. As a trading port founded by the Portuguese in the eighteenth century it lured business and business people to come and work within its confines. In fact the British held an important foothold there. However, with the growth of the French protectorate, Casablanca was favored and in the early twentieth century, and Essaouira fell into disrepair.

Today the fishing port is surrounded by whitewashed two storied buildings with traditional blue shutters. Its sandy beaches are uncluttered and for the most part empty of high-density tourist traffic. Beyond the beaches are row upon row of rolling dunes. These dunes provide ideal shelter because Essaouira is a windy place and that is part of its charm! Because this town, which the Portuguese named Mogador is a wind surfer’s paradise, so much so that I plays host to several international windsurfing competitions. But there’s more, if there’s wind there is generally surf as well. Yes, Essaouira is also a surfer’s heaven, and they come from all around and even further afield to catch rides on some big breakers.

Another feature of this remarkable Moroccan town is the Gnawas Festival, which is probably the event that attracted Jimi Hendrix to the region. The Gnawas comprise a traditional group of singers and musicians. They are black because they come from a slave heritage and this has greatly influenced their music that has a heavy trance-inducing beat. The Gnawas Festival takes place in June each year and draws people from all over the world.

Essaouira offers a grand selection of hotels and guest houses to cater for all pockets and tastes. For example for something rather different, “Dar Liouba” is a gem of a place. This small guest house is a former Imam’s residence which has been re-designed by a Russian Furnisher and a French Chinese Jewelry designer to be come a sophisticated hostelry filled with lush green plants and traditional carved cedar wood, but if that’s not to your taste there is a lot more accommodation to choose from.

Interested in this subject? Try this link for more of the same

Submitted by: Derek Miller http://www.offtomorocco.com