I snagged flights to Essaouira back in the summer at a bargain price the second I saw them. The Moroccan beach town has been a dream destination for me for years. It conjures up crumbling white buildings, roaring surf, dreadlocks and wrists full of jangling bracelets. Souks with winding streets and spice markets that make you sneeze. Jagged palm trees and desert blooms. Nevermind Christmas, we were going to spend those precious December holiday days in the sunshine this year.
My holiday dreaming rarely involves being overprotective about the kids. I get carried away with the romance and don’t think about danger. Maybe the danger is part of that romance. With that cavalier spirit in mind, we carted a few carry-on bags stuffed with new toys onboard, along with my two young daughters, and set off on a family adventure.
If I was a worrying type, I would have worried about the stairs. Moroccan houses are vertical and have stone stairs right to the roof terrace, with no chance of stair gates. I would have worried about rickety-looking railings on restaurant terraces. I would have stopped and thought: what if they won’t eat couscous? What if they stand in the dirty puddles in the middle of the street or get sick from the water?
I don’t worry about these things. We found restaurants that served pasta alongside tagine, couscous and chickpea stews. We watched our little toddler start taking wobbly steps holding her sister’s hand, down alleyways lined with Berber rugs and wood carvings. I wandered around the souk with Olivia’s little hand in mine, looking for a camel souvenir to take home. “I feel like I’m in a dream, Mummy,” she said. I did too.
Christmas in Morocco
Christmas Day came and went. Morocco is a Muslim country so for them it’s just another day; for us it was a chance to put on some Christmas music at breakfast time and open presents from Father Christmas, but it was fully turkey and tinsel-free. It didn’t feel festive, not with 25̇C sunshine, and all our cheesy traditions took a well-earned break.
We ate mango ice cream in the Italian cafe in the main square instead, watching wandering minstrels playing gnawa music in djellabas and leather slippers, and scarlet silk-clad acrobats making human pyramids and cartwheeling around the square. We said hello to every alleycat on every street corner, and stroked tiny fleabitten kittens. Festive, no, but special, yes. A break from the norm is the best present I could get, in any case.
Losing track of time one night, we found ourselves in a beach bar 20 minutes’ walk across the beach from the town as the sun was going down. Camels were silhouetted against the surf and the peach-coloured sinking sun, and it started to get cold. It was going to be a longtrek home with two little children. On top of that, the bar’s kitchen had closed, and the kids hadn’t had tea. It was approaching the witching hour – that time of day when you know your kids need some food and to go to bed, otherwise something nasty will happen.
Something lovely happened instead. We found a bar still serving food and ordered the first thing on the menu, and sat down behind two guys with large afros and larger sunglasses playing guitars on a small stage. Instead of lurching into tantrums, the kids danced around the café to pared-back Pharrell tunes while we sat and relaxed. It occurred to me that beyond baby music classes, I haven’t ever taken the kids to see live music. That’s a new tradition I must start.
As we walked home along the seafront promenade, Olivia balancing on the sea wall, we bought candyfloss on a stick and made our way back through the city gateway into the medina and towards our house. This ancient town is full of beautiful scenes, bustling with people and yet carefree and relaxing too. Like a man we met on our last day, I could see us coming back here time and again, to surf, write, play music and relax, or just hang out and soak up the colour.
Things to do with kids in Essaouira
- The port – For startling blue boats, men mending nets, fish stalls heaving with unidentifiable fish (and live lobsters) and views from the ramparts of crashing waves
- The souks – Give the kids nutella crepes made on the street corner to keep them quiet while you browse rows and rows of babouches and wood carvings.
- The beach – With playgrounds, beach bars, camel rides, surfers and kite surfers, there’s always something to look at, and plenty of sand to claim for sandcastles
- Histoire des Filles – Not strictly a children’s attraction, this beautiful boutique has a room at the back where kids can play while you browse the city’s best handbags, jewellery and clothes.
- Café Vagabond – Right at the end of the beach, a 20-minute walk from the town, this cafe has a kids menu, trampoline and seesaw and camels and ponies to watch from comfy day beds
- Jardin des Douars – Just out of town, this boutique hotel has a shuttle that can pick you up for a day spent playing in their heated pool, as long as you buy lunch
Where to Stay
The Dar Beida Residence sleeps up to 8 and is in the heart of the medina.
Browse all our Kid & Coe family vacation rentals in Essaouira or Marrakech.