Bethany In The Big City : Morocco

The final leg of the road trip took us up and over the final mountain pass, through the sprawling suburbs of Marrakech and on the wonderful seaside town of Essaouira. Coming over the coastal ridge after several hours of hot and dusty driving made the first glimpse of the pure turquoise sea even more exciting, a little like being a child ahead and seeing the first little snapshot of the beach ahead. Ending our travels at Essaouira was the best decision we ever made, the whole town is geared up for relaxing, last minute shopping and soaking up the incredible beauty of north Africa's coast.

We stayed at the Dar Maya the most incredible boutique hotel with a wonderfully friendly owner and two cheeky little puppies. The Dar Maya has only been open for several months and so remains a hidden gem in the back streets of town and it just happens to have a spectacular roof top terrace and pool with views of the ocean.

Marrakech is known as the red city and to me Essaouira should be known as the blue town, because what could be more fitting for a seaside town other then brightly painted windows, walls and doors in the happiest shade of cobalt blue! I may have gotten a little carried away taking pictures of pretty little alleys and wonderfully wide heavy doors.

We spent a blissful couple of days wandering the narrow maze of streets, doing some last minute shopping (much cheaper than Marrakech), eating some deliciously fresh fish and guarding the ramparts checking for pirates. The strong stone walls of the Medina form ramparts looking out over the wonderfully dramatic crashing waves and are even dotted with some good old-fashionned cannons.

Essaouira is very much an up and coming trendy town, Jimmy Hendrix used to come and party and I can completely understand why! Just a quick stroll down to the port and you can find stand after stand of fresh fish stalls, complete with friendly fisherman who will fry you up a lobster. The boats line up displaying their wares and make a perfect photo opportunity. In my opinion Essaouira represents the perfect blend of old Morocco with a modern buzz.

Leaving such a pretty place was very tricky and I had to tear myself away form the gorgeous sunsets and the cute little kitties from the shop opposite the hotel.