6 Days From Marrakech Atlantic Coast Wonders

6 Days From Marrakech Atlantic Coast Wonders

• Departure from Marrakech.
• Duration: 6 days/5 nights.

ITINERARY:

Marrakech-El Jadida-Oualidia coastal lagoon-Safi-Safi coastal cliffs and Cape Bedouza-Essaouira-Sidi Kaouki-Cape Sim-Cape Rhir-Taghazout-Immouzer (Paradise Valley)-Marrakech.

End of tour: Marrakech.
Our tour is very seaworthy, a song of love to the sea, where the waves come and go bringing sweet memories.

DAY 1.- MARRAKECH-EL JADIDA

El Jadida is the capital of the province of the same name. It is one of the most charming cities of the Moroccan coast, therefore, it is also one of the most visited cities by national and foreign tourism.

The Portuguese occupation of the city for more than two centuries left an indelible presence. The Portuguese took it in 1502 and remained there until 1769. They called the city Mazagan and it became Portugal’s most important commercial center on the African Atlantic coast.
In 1769 the city was conquered by the Alaouite Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah III, the city was renamed El Brija El Jadida (origin of the current name) and the city began to grow outside the walls.
The Portuguese citadel is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. In the beautiful coastal landscape stands the crenellated wall with five bastions. From here there is a spectacular panoramic view of the city, the Sea Gate, the Chapel of the Inquisition, the Jewish cemetery in the Mellah area and the ocean.
The most important buildings of the Portuguese period are the fortified enclosure, the Manueline Church of the Assumption, near the Great Mosque of El Jadida (which has the peculiarity of having the only pentagonal minaret in the Arab world) and the Portuguese cistern.
The citadel retains its original medieval structure and houses of Portuguese architecture with square columns and iron balconies.
One of the citadel’s hidden gems is the cistern, one of the architectural masterpieces of the early 16th century, a subway cistern with a vaulted roof supported by pilasters. When the sun’s rays penetrate through the skylight of the vault and are reflected in the water inside, the whole acquires a poetic beauty difficult to forget. The Cistern is located on Mohammed El-Hachmi Bahbah Street.
It is also interesting to visit the old Spanish church of San Antonio de Padua.
El Jadida is one of those cities from which you will leave wishing to return.
We will spend the night in El Jadida.

DAY 2.- EL JADIDA – OUALIDIA COASTAL LAGOON – SAFI

After breakfast we will set off. We will head to Oualidia, a beautiful town just over an hour away. On the way we will make a very brief stop in the town of Moulay Abdallanm, where we will find the ruins of an ancient fortified monastery of the twelfth century, El Ribat del Tit, built by the Berber tribe of the Zenagas. In its vicinity is held between late July and August one of the main moussen of the country, that of Moulay Abdallah Amghar, famous for the fantasy races that emulate the fights of warriors and for the evening entertainment of the festival with dance groups (reminiscent of the way in which the fighters were entertained evenings) and folk music, the fair of culinary arts and falconry shows.
Oualidia is a coastal town located about 60 kms from El Jadida. It is a seaside resort of international fame. It owes its name to its founder, Sultan El Ualid, who built in the first half of the seventeenth century a Kasbah that was intended to protect the natural harbor.
The main attraction of Oualidia is its coastal lagoon, bordered by sandy beaches and dunes, where fish and seafood abound, an area of passage of migratory birds, and a place of great beauty ideal for walking and water sports. In the summer there is a famous festival, the Oyster Festival, in which there is a nautical parade of fishing boats enlivened by concerts of traditional music.
Oualidia is famous for its traditional medicine based on bee products.
We will spend half of the morning strolling around the lagoon, take a short nautical walk around it and tour this small and charming fishing village, after which we will head to Safi, where we will spend the night.
Safi is located on the site of a natural harbor of easy defense, because it is located in a wide bay surrounded by cliffs, and therefore has an extensive history behind it.
Originally a Phoenician factory, it was the Portuguese who turned it in the 15th century into an important stopover on the route from the Atlantic coast of Africa to Guinea, initially as a commercial settlement, until its official occupation in 1508 on behalf of the kingdom of Portugal.

During the little more than thirty years that they dominated the enclave, the Portuguese proceeded to the construction of a walled enclosure endowed with imposing defensive bastions, as well as the construction of a Gothic cathedral.
In 1541 they abandoned the city because of the siege of the first Saadian sultans. With the Saadids the importance of Safi as a port city continued to grow, becoming the outlet to the sea of the imperial city of Marrakech.
In the eighteenth century with the construction of the new Essaouira, to which most of the commercial activity is diverted, Safi enters a period of decline, which would not come out until the twentieth century, when in times of French Protectorate the new port is built and becomes the most important port in the world sardinero.
We will make a tour of the medina area, fully protected by the old Portuguese wall, which stands out for the strong contrast between European architecture and traditional Islamic architecture.
Inside the citadel highlights a palace built in the eighteenth century as the governor’s residence and now houses the National Museum of Ceramics, the defensive bastion of the Kechla that guarded the city, the main avenue, Independence Square, the Rue du Souk that crosses the medina, the Portuguese Chapel which is what remains of the choir of the Gothic Cathedral of St. Catherine, built in the early sixteenth century and the Sea Castle (ksar el Bhar), an extraordinary example of military architecture, built by the Portuguese.
At the end of the Rue du Souk is the Bab Chaaba, the gate that leads out of the walled enclosure. To the right is the Hill of the Potters (the pottery of Safi is especially famous), where we will find workshops where the traditional process of making pottery is still followed. The clay of the region is of special quality. Most of the tiles used in Moroccan buildings come from Safi. From the hill of the potters’ quarter there are magnificent views of the city.
In summer the city hosts the Festival of the Sea.
Overnight in Safi, in the hotel/riad of your choice.

DAY 3.- SAFI (CLIFFS OF THE COAST OF SAFI AND CAPE BEDOUZA)-ESSAOUIRA.

After breakfast we will head to Essaouira, the pearl of the Atlantic.
On the way, along the coast, we will see the beaches of Safi, such as Souira Kedima and stop at the cliffs of Safi, reminiscent of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.
Two hours drive we will arrive in Essaouira where we will spend today and tomorrow.

DAY 4.- ESSAOUIRA.

Essaouira, is best known by its ancient name MOGADOR, a word evocative, in the collective imagination, of an atmosphere of mystery and exoticism, of adventures of pirates and filibusters. It is a coastal city on the Atlantic coast, north of Cape Sim, located on a low and narrow peninsula, with an economy based mainly on fishing and tourist activities. It is one of the most fascinating cities of the Atlantic coast.
The inescapable visit in this city is the medina of Essaouira, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2001. Perhaps its streets and layouts are familiar to you because this city was the scene of the filming of the third season of the famous series Game of Thrones. The medina has a special charm, it is one of the most beautiful in Morocco.
Strolling through its quiet streets of whitewashed houses topped by doors and windows of intense blue ornamented with filigree details without feeling the pressure of time, just getting carried away by the sound of the wind, the echoes of gnawa music and the lapping of the waves that hit the walls is an experience that speaks of past times that may have been better, but nevertheless, Essaouira is one of those places that remain anchored in the heart and memory.
Inside the medina the heart of the city is the Plaza de Mulay el Hassan, a busy square full of charm, where you can enjoy a coffee or tea in one of the many terraces.

The modern city was founded in 1760 when the Sultan of the Alaouite dynasty Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah decided to create a port on this site to compete with the port of the city of Agadir, which he did not quite control. The urban project of the new city was entrusted to a French engineer prisoner, Theodore Cornut, who structured it according to European urban planning criteria, hence the medina has a European grid layout and the streets are straight and wide, unlike the rest of the medinas in the country. Precisely from this fact derives the current name of the city, Essaouira, which means “the well-designed”. Essaouira ended up being the great market for European traders and caravans from the Sahara.
Inside the Medina, it is worth walking along Siaguin Street, where the silver smiths work, and Mohamed Ben Abdala Street, a shopping street with many stores that ends in the old Jewish quarter (the Mellah).
You will find many art galleries, restaurants and cafes and artisan stores. They are renowned for their silver jewelry and woodwork in huya, cedar and ebony.
In front of the port, the Skala du Port fortress stands out, built during the Portuguese rule. The Portuguese established a military and commercial outpost on this coast. In 1506 they built the port and the fortress, which has two defensive towers, which allowed to defend the sea route and control the port area and the island of Mogador. From them you have the best views of Essaouira. On the crenellated wall are lined with old Spanish cannons. The port is today the liveliest place in the city.
The new town extends outside the wall, with a promenade south and east of the medina, where a large sandy beach overlooking the bay, where you can perform many activities, such as surfing, horseback riding, dromedary or quad. In all the coastal strip, often, the trade winds blow, so the area is ideal for windsurfing, being a regular meeting point for lovers of this sport. Another of the activities that can be performed is the visit to the island of Mogador in a tourist boat along the coast. The island of Mogador is also known as Íles Purpuraires, which translates into English as purple islands. The reason is that during the Phoenician and Roman times there was a factory where purple was obtained, a dye extracted from a gastropod that abounded on its shores. Today, it is an uninhabited island, which can not be visited without official authorization and is a nature reserve, home to Eleonora’s falcons, from April to October.

DAY 5.- ESSAOUIRA- SIDI KAOUKI- CAPE SIM-CAPE RHIR- TAGHAZOUT.

About 25 kms from Essaouira we find the famous Sidi Kaouki, a former fishing village today transformed into a hippie and somewhat bohemian redoubt.
The beach, kilometer long and almost virgin, is well known by surf lovers because the trade winds, which blow there very often, make it ideal for the practice of this sport.
It is also very visited by Moroccans because Sidi Kaouki is the closest beach to the imperial city of Marrakech.
On a rocky promontory a white building reminds that this is a place of pilgrimage. In that small building are the mortal remains of a Sufi saint known for his healing powers whose name gave rise to the population.
Sidi Kaouki is really an oasis of peace, with a chill out atmosphere.

DAY 6.- TAGHAZHOUT-IMMOUZER (THE VALLEY OF PARADISE)-MARRAKECH.

Tagazhout, along with Sidi Kaouki is a must for a “surf safari”. It is a pleasant fishing village that is progressively being occupied by foreigners in love with what offers a quiet life in contact with nature and the sea set their temporary residence here, but still retains the essence of its local spirit. We will make a brief tour of the Bay of Taghazout and spend an hour in the village, because the highlight of the day today is the Valley of Paradise.
A little more than fifty kilometers inland from Taghazout, a narrow road following a mountain river, the Asif Ankrim, bordered by wonderful canyons leads us to the Valley of Tifrit, of extraordinary beauty, hence the name by which it is also known: The Valley of Paradise. Numerous lagoons and backwaters of the river where you can bathe in a landscape dominated by limestone mountains, rich in fossils, covered with palm trees, thuja, olive, almond, orange blossom and argan trees. An authentic experience for the senses that you will never forget. We will spend half of the day enjoying its beautiful and wild landscape.
After lunch we will head to the town of Imouzzer, a Berber town associated with the Ida Outanane tribe. We will visit the natural pools of the Assif Tamraght Gorge and the waterfalls of Wadi Tinkert, which only have flow in winter and that descend on walls of limestone rocks of immaculate white, therefore, these waterfalls are called “bridal veil”. A few kilometers to the south are the waterfalls of Ait Lahasen.
If time permits, we will visit the picturesque village of Talmat, where the remains of an “agadir”, the Agadir Igher Gharene. We recommend that you consult the architecture section of the website, where you will find detailed information about these typical communal granaries that are the agadirs, a construction typical of Berber architecture.
After this intense day we will return to Marrakech.
End of our services.

The tour INCLUDES:

• Transfers to and from your hotel/riad.
• Transportation throughout the tour in private high-end air-conditioned vehicle with driver and English-speaking guide.
• Visits detailed in the program.
• Accommodation in Riad or hotel, on bed and breakfast basis, except half board (breakfast and dinner).
• Free time to visit the visits detailed in the program, as well as the stops that are requested to walk or take pictures.

The circuit does NOT include:

• International flights.
• Drinks.
• Tips for visits.
• Half day lunch.
• Entrance fees to museums and historical monuments.
• Everything NOT specified in “the price includes”.