Just a couple of hours west of Marrakech, Essaouira is worth the day trip. Don't miss the goats on the Argan trees on the way and while you're there, go for a walk in the Medina and have lunch at one of the several street food spots near the fishing port.
From couscous, to tagines, mint tea and olives, loads of olives. Oh! And orange juice of course! Typical Moroccan food is slightly spicy but not necessarily hot. We had a delicious lunch in Le Jardim, a beautiful restaurant, where Brazil meets Morocco; we had a scrumptious diner at Nomad, where simplicity and busyness cohabit in the most casual way. For a killer view, go either to Café des Épices which is a great place for a quick snack with a view over the spice souk and the Atlas mountains or to Zwin Zwin cafe with a much quieter atmosphere.
Favourite souk: the Kchachbia, where you find wooden objects and woven baskets and stools. I loved shopping at Atelier Moro, also in the medina. As for a visit, I would say not to miss the iconic Majorelle Gardens and the beautiful Palais de la Bahia. You can also make a pit stop in the Menara Gardens on your way to the airport, before you leave.
The most famous square in Morocco, the Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakech is also a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. This place surely is unique and magic. During the day there are lots of juice stalls where you can buy a glass of orange juice for just 4 dirhams (40 cents!), there's also dates and nuts stalls, monkeys and snake charmers, who are always ready to surprise you with a snake around your neck - not my favourite, by the way...
As the sun sets - which I recommend you to watch on the terrace of one of the cafes around the square - dozens of food stalls start to settle in and you can see plenty of delicious Moroccan food being cooked. Just choose one of the stalls, sit and you'll be presented with bread, fresh tomate sauce, marinated olives and sautéed spinach. After that have a couple of chicken or beef skewers, some couscous and maybe a tagine - Moroccan kind of stew. Wrap up your experience with a stroll around the southern part of the square to watch the dancers and the musicians playing drums and flutes.
The medina of Marrakech is chaotic maze of narrow streets filled with people, racing motorbikes and carts pulled by donkeys. Everything is happening there and that's where you'll want to be. Most of the worth-going-to Riads - which are traditional Moroccan houses where you can stay overnight, just like a hotel - , cafes and restaurants are inside the medina.
As you get nearer to the souk - market in arabic - you'll notice that everyone will try to sell you something. It will be tiring sometimes but nevertheless, the Marrakech souk is an incredible place to go shopping for all sorts of artisanal products. From scarfs, to rugs and pillows, to woven baskets and wood pieces, to leather and metallic artefacts. You can also find a variety of spices and herbs, marinated juicy olives, shiny lemons, different kinds of dates and nut pastes. Just make sure you have your haggling skills prepared so that you don't end up paying triple the price you should!
