Memories of Morocco - Part XI - Riding Northern Morocco's Atlantic coast

Outside the hotel in Imessouane

Our last day of riding begins on a gentle climb. At the top we are treated to a breathtaking view of the ocean. The road continues for many kilometers high up on wind-blown cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The scene reminds me of sections of the Cabot Trail that contour the island overlooking the ocean far below.

Atlantic coast

Near the edge

As the road heads inland we pass through a sleepy village before venturing out into the countryside. A goat herder herds his flock across the dry riverbed, up the bank, and across the road. Seeing a turn-off, I stop and wait for Adboul to give directions. The turn-off leads down a rough, hard-packed dirt road peppered with embedded rocks. This rocky surface goes on for about 5 kilometers before the pavement returns. A little while later the road becomes dirt again, hard-packed and smooth. The day is warm with a cooling breeze coming off the ocean. It is the kind of day you wish would never end.

Alas, it ends all too soon but what a great way to end the trip: with an exhilarating descent down a bumpy dirt road! As the road flattens out, for a change I am disappointed to see the lunch van. The riding is over too soon. And it really is over: For the day and for whole the trip! I’m feeling wistful.

We enjoy our last roadside lunch this time under a hot sun. A child is watching from a distance, too shy to come close. Scotty offers her some food which she takes home and then returns. After lunch Scotty gathers the support team and us riders and presents them with a tip and a huge thank you for all their work the last 10 days. Aboul (the cook) gives leftover salad to the donkey tied up nearby. I wondered what happened to all the other food we didn't eat over the past 10 days.

Last roadside lunch

It’s time to clean up and get in the vans for the drive to the ancient walled city of Essaouira, located on the Atlantic Coast, where we will spend the next two and a half days. It is a bumpy drive through the remaining range of mountains, crossing a rocky stream bed and driving up a winding unpaved road with sheer drop offs on one side. A 4-wheel drive ATV would have been better suited to this terrain than our mini-bus but our driver does his job well.

Along the way, we stop at a roadside Argan Oil shop. Having viewed hundreds of Argan trees on our travels through Moroccan hills, it is fascinating to watch how the women crush and work the Argan nuts into paste extracting the oil for the many health and beauty products that will be manufactured from Argan kernel.

Soon we are in Essaouira a town famous for its artisan shops, European feel, and long, sandy beaches. It’s a tourist town unlike any we have visited to date. Our riad is located in the medina, a fortress that now is the center of a bustling market that would put many North American outdoor markets to shame with its abundance of restaurants, cafes, hotels, spas and shops.

No cars are allowed inside the walls of the medina, so we are let out at the gate and a man pulling a cart appears to haul our luggage to the hotel. The sea air is much cooler than inland; Essaouira is nicknamed the windy city for a reason.

That evening, Scotty, Brian, Mark, Anne and I walk the streets of the medina in search of a hotel restaurant where we will have dinner with a view of the ocean, in the hopes of watching the sun set. Unfortunately, the sky isn’t clear and the sunsets unremarkably in a haze blending water and sky. Still not tired of delicious tagine, I order a vegetarian tagine and a Schweppes citrus soft drink.

We conclude the day with a walk in search of a bakery for Scotty and I. We also stop at a stall selling freshly made nougat. These are quite the treats after more than ten days without anything other than fruit for dessert. 

Tomorrow we will have time to explore this town and its beaches.