Our time in Morocco thus far has been full of bright colors, bustling markets, mint tea, fresh orange juice, the smell of freshly baked bread, expansive snow capped mountains, warm desert air, brightly painted ceramics and rugs, and a lot of tagine eaten. As we sat on the bus towards Morocco’s coast, leaving behind the farmland, rivers, and mountains of Ourika, we wondered what new sensations the coast might bring. Stepping off the bus in Essaouira, we were given a warm welcome by the wind and Atlantic Ocean, working together to greet us with the subtle smell of the salty sea. Even without this salt-air, it would’ve been clear to me that we were on a coast based on the types of trees and flowers that transported me back to the coastal oasis of SLO. My favorite coastal tree, the Norfolk pine, and flowers like bougainvillea lined the streets.
We spent the evening exploring Essaouira, and taking in all the similarities and differences to what we’ve seen in Morocco so far. With each new street explored, we etched a clearer picture of this beautiful and diverse country that we’ve become so very fond of. Essaouira is an urban city that lets its calm surroundings infuse in the city’s culture. Soft sunrises and sunsets along the water infuse a slower pace into the still bustling markets, where we were never short of fresh bread and fruit. We walked through the white and blue washed buildings, getting lost in all of the quaint alleys inside the historic Medina walls from the 17th century. We were thrilled to see more food options here - from seafood, to more westernized and international cuisine, we knew that we wouldn’t be eating tagine and couscous for another night in a row. Actually, I ended up having one of my best meals of the trip so far here. It was still a traditional Moroccan dish, pastilla, but a less common to find than tagine and couscous.
At night the streets grew quieter as most people went inside their homes to break Ramadan fast with their families. We were accompanied by the warm yellow street lamps, and some vendors still out at the markets. It set the scene for a peaceful stroll, where we remarked how easy it is to feel like you don’t know what century it is - it could easily be 200 years ago and amongst these cobblestone streets and preserved town walls, you get lost in the time period. A short but sweet time in Essaouira came to an end the next morning, when we headed 3 hours further north up the coast to the small surf town of Tamraght, where we’d spent the next 5 nights.
We were both looking forward to having a home base in Tamraght, where we could settle for longer while exploring all of the small coastal towns nearby within about an hour radius. While long term traveling, it’s the small comforts that can excite me. 5 days in one place where we can actually sprawl out all of our stuff and make a mess? Brilliant. Our first impression of Tamraught was quaint, small, and very steep. Our hostel was perched on a steep hill, along with the main town, making the climb up with our backpacks a sweaty trek. We spent the first evening leisurely exploring the town. Surf shops, surf hostels, restaurants, cafes, juice and coffee shops were scattered along the few main streets of town. We saw more tourists here than we were used to seeing, but it still wasn’t crowded by any means. With surfing being the main thing to do here, the relaxed, unhurried feelings are absorbed into the whole town. We leaned into this slow pace, and didn’t have any agenda for our time here. When walking to dinner, we passed by a motorbike rental shop and thought it would be exciting to rent one and explore the neighboring town, Imsouane the next day.
Each of us with an AirPod in one ear, helmets on, wind through our hair, and big smiles on our faces, we cruised down the scenic coast of Morocco 1.5 hours north to Imsouane. Listening to music while on the quiet stretch of road brought me back to the feelings of immense freedom and contentment I felt in Southeast Asia on motorbike. Helena and I talked about how happy we were to be doing this again, and the liberation we felt during the drive. The morning sunlight shone down on us as we drove the winding roads surrounded by small rolling hills covered with olive trees. After the short picturesque drive, it already felt like we’d had the best day ever - we were feeling so alive.
Imsouane kept this feeling alive with its charm that we quickly fell in love with. Even smaller than Tamraught, but keeping with the surfing theme, it was clear that the thing for us to do here was to take it easy and relax. Everyone was enjoying the slow pace of life here. Some were on skateboards quietly rolling by, taking advantage of the downhills that ended with ocean views. Many were surfing the small waves, taking advantage of the warm sunny day. And like us, some were laying out on the colorful Moroccan rugs and pillows, just taking it all in. We read our books by the water, drank coffee and juice, ate seafood, and people watched.
As we watched everyone in Imsouane, we noticed just how many people were living the van life. Streets full of vans equipped with kitchens, beds, and sometimes small showers, sat parked by the ocean. What an alternative life we thought - exploring the world by van, waking up by the waters edge and going surfing, and gathering unforgettable experiences along the way. The cool part to us was how normal this felt here. Travel has a way of making something that’s uncommon at home feel totally common in a different setting, and ultimately opens our eyes to just how many paths are available for people to choose from. As we sat and discussed, we enjoyed some of the most fresh, tart, sour yet deliciously sweet berries we’d ever tasted.
On the drive back home, we pulled over at a cafe on the side of the road to grab a coffee and orange juice. As with the theme of alternative lifestyles we saw reflected in Imsouane, someone had moved to Morocco in 2020 and built their own cafe on the side of the road - selling drinks from their van. We enjoyed our time frolicking on the swings of the property, playing with the cat, and overlooking the rolling green hills at golden hour.
Another memorable moment of our time on the coast was our day trip to Agadir, the largest city on the coast that also has the largest souk in Morocco (and one of the largest in all of Africa). With 3,000-6,000 stalls within the souk, it’s inevitable to get lost within the dense collection of shops. It has what seems like everything in the world - from clothes, to spices, produce, argan oil, ceramics, furniture, home goods, and thousands of other products. We spent hours exploring, and primarily looking at the piles of second hand clothes.
We recharged with our staples- some fresh pomegranate juice, Moroccan bread, and berries. But even with the fuel, we were worn out and it was time to go back to our relaxing Taghazout 30 minutes away. We spent some much needed relaxation time after this watching the sunset, followed by a trip to a neighborhood bakery that would soon become our favorite nightly routine. Another favorite routine became our yoga sessions on the terrace. This evening in particular, the warm night air brought a light breeze off the ocean, and we stretched under the moonlight and stars, anticipating our sweet treat and TV show afterwards.
The happiness and relaxation we felt on the coast also brought with it a bittersweet melancholy, as we recognized this meant our time together was winding down. We became so comfortable sharing every minute of our days together, laughing about silly things that happened along the way, and having meaningful conversations every day. We travel so well together, and share a bond like sisters. We spent our last night in Marrakesh, where I was able to meet Helena’s boyfriend Hendrik, and we shared a delicious meal at Helena and I’s favorite restaurant from the beginning of our trip. It felt full circle being back in Marrakesh after such an incredible 17 days shared together, though it really felt like we had been gone for over a month. We talked about how surreal this feeling is - to try to process all of the highlights and memories we’ve shared together. It probably won’t sink in until afterwards, when it will truly dawn on us that we won’t and can’t get back to those shared days together anytime soon. But the fact that we can’t fully process everything yet also brings some good: the realization that will come afterwards, when we can look back again fondly and let the whole magic and beauty of it sink in. The sadness of leaving this time is needed to know how beautiful and special the time was.
Now, Helena and Hendrik are off for a week together in Northern Morocco, while I’m headed to Portugal to meet up with Jovan 💕 To Helena, our 5th country explored together was an irreplaceable adventure that I will cherish forever, and I know that we’ll meet again soon.
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