How to fill a sketchbook: a visit to Essaouira in Morocco

"Hello, madame, how are you? Come inside and look." Get used to this phrase if ever you visit a souk in Morocco. The locals turn on the charm and invite you to buy their colourful wares wherever you walk. And of course sometimes, it is very hard to resist. It is also very hard to resist the wonderful scenes, wherever you look. If you visit as an artist, you will find it very difficult not to take a good photograph and the range of scenes that unfold before your eyes as you walk along are very inspiring for sketches. It is fascinating just to watch as small dramas take place: some kid being chased for stealing; a group of young boys with black bags on their feet skidding about on the street for a laugh; or a group of young women chatting while perched on a wall.

I spent a week in Essaouira, a small place on the coast, which took 3-4 hours to get to on a bus from Agadir. I've seen it in holiday brochures, travel guides and books for artists. It's an "arty" place, famous as a former residence for Jimi Hendrix (he stayed at the same hotel as me) and full of paintings by local artists. I definitely recommend it for photographers, sketchers and painters or those who just want to laze on a wonderful sandy beach. It's also great for surfers, as the wind whips up some great waves to ride on.

Essaouira's port

The port in Essaouira is an artist's dream for sketching. It is still a working port and hasn't reached the status of quaint tourists' hangout that a lot of English fishing ports have become (especially in Cornwall).

I took so many photographs that I can't possibly show them all here, but here is a small selection. I loved the colours of the blue fishing boats, the pointy hoods of the fishermen and even their bicycles lined up against an ornate fence. Mogadon blue is the favoured local colour evident on boats, doors, shops fronts, tables, plant pots and even fabrics.

The Skalas

There are two skalas to explore. The Skala de la Ville is the town's northern bastion and it is a great place for sketching as you can overlook the medina. It was one of the locations used in Orson Welles' screen version of Othello.

You can also explore the turrets of the Skala du Port to the south that overlooks the busy port. It makes a less obtrusive place to sketch as you have a good view without disturbing the fishermen.

Hotel Riad al Medina

This hotel's claim to fame is that it once hosted Jimi Hendrix, although I found it hard to believe after listening to "Hello" by Lionel Richie for the tenth time in the restaurant. Jimi would roll in his grave, the music wasn't quite to his taste.

I recommend it as a place to stay; not only do you get cool breezes that waft down into the courtyard, you can also observe the local bird population that live and sleep there too.

The beach

The beach has stunning sunsets and is worth a stroll along, even in the evening. During the day it is full of surfers and sunbathers and people walking dogs along the sands.