Six months into my travels, it was time for a rejuvenating Moroccan hammam. Hammams have a positive effect on body and soul and are beneficial for weary long-term travelers. I enjoy them and have written posts about my experiences in Istanbul and Cappadocia Turkey, Novi Sad Serbia, and Sarajevo Bosnia-Herzegovina. Moroccan hammams are similar, but also unique.
Years ago, before starting a travel blog, I visited an ayurvedic (knowledge of life) spa in Kerala South India. Those intense, unrivaled treatments use deep massage and “holistic and integrative medicine principles to balance doshas,” or body composition:
During a vigorous Ayurvedic massage, “organic oil blends infused with herbs are heated and used to promote relaxation and detoxification“. The ayurvedic process “enhances spiritual fulfilment and promotes relaxation”.
Essaouira Hammams
There are many neighborhood hammams in Essaouira. To determine where I felt the most comfortable, I visited several different possibilities – fancy upscale hotels and resorts, spas along the seaside, and hammams within the walls of the Medina. The Moroccan procedure is detailed below, but each hammam has unique, distinct characteristics. A fastidiously clean premises and peaceful environment are common features of all hammams.
The process begins in a heated waiting room or sauna – sometimes with a pool – and evolves to a warm stone treatment room, followed by tea in a cool relaxation area at the end of the entire process. A variation in temperature from hot to cold “stimulates blood flow and encourages the body to sweat out impurities”. Nights and mornings along Essaouira’s Atlantic coastline are windy and chilly, so the soothing heat really felt great.
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“Embrace the hammam experience with an open mind. Remember, the hammam is a judgment-free zone, where people of all generations bathe, from young daughters to great grandmothers.” Bewildered in Morocco
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Purifying Body and Soul
The main idea of a hammam is purifying body and soul. Public hammams are also a place for “celebrating major life events“. Bathing rituals are often incorporated into weddings and births. I had a private hammam – somewhat comparable to a spa visit – but it was much more.
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Hammam means the “spreader of warmth” in Arabic. The New Knew
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CoCooning Spa Medina
I decided to visit Cocooning Spa in the Medina for my hammam treatments. Feeling a bit sluggish lately, I got the works – “Total Relaxation Package”. It included:
- Hammam + Moroccan Black Soap Scrub Exfoliation
- Ghassoul (lava clay) Facial Mask and Body Wrap
- Aragan Oil Massage
- Manicure and Pedicure
It sounds a bit indulgent, but was necessary to rejuvenate my travel-weary body and soul! Afterwards, I felt a calm sense of physical and mental renewal. The amount of dead skin cells removed during exfoliation was shocking – ewwwww. It was well worth the experience, just to get rid of that excess baggage. Most accommodations these days have showers, no bathtubs. Soaks in a tub are a good way to maintain healthy skin. When traveling, I miss leisurely, relaxing soaks in my tub.
In Morocco, the hammam process was slightly different than what I’d experienced in other countries. The small Essaouira spa didn’t have a pool, so showers timed with alternating hot and cold water were used between treatments. The staff didn’t speak English, but they did a thorough, professional job. I left the apartment in a rush and forgot my iPhone, so photos are from their website. Sorry, there are no pictures of me shamelessly slathered in Moroccan black soap with a clay mask on my face. :o)
History of Moroccan Hammams
Moroccan hammams are similar to taking a sauna, followed by several intense “spa treatments“. As hammams became more popular, they turned into a “traditional, weekly ritual and gathering point where people met to socialize”.
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Today, hammams are a “mixture of traditional rituals and modern practices that have the same goal – purifying your body from dead skin cells and your soul from negative vibes”.
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Traditional Moroccan Hammam Process
The Moroccan hammam ritual starts by sitting in a hot room for about 15 minutes, to relax and open the pores. Then, a thin layer of Moroccan black soap (aka Beldi) is applied to your face and body. After 10 minutes, you rinse off the soap, and dead skin cells are scrubbed away with a kessa glove. The amount of dead skin that comes off during the exfoliation treatment is amazing, leaving your skin soft and glowing.
After the exfoliation, your hair is washed with argan oil shampoo. Then, to absorb impurities and mineralize the epidermis, a purifying, cleansing ghassoul clay mask is applied to your face and body. After 15 minutes, you take a shower to remove the mask, and a hydrating layer of vitamin E enriched Moroccan argan oil is applied to your skin and hair. The final step is an invigorating massage, with you deciding the intensity – light to deep tissue.
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“Since religion is the center of Moroccan culture, the first hammams were established near mosques and praying centers for daily purification of body and soul before performing Muslim prayer rituals – salah.”
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Benefits of Moroccan Hammams
After it was over, I slept like a baby that night and felt calm, rejuvenated, and full of energy the next day. Some hammam benefits are listed below:
- Physical / emotional detoxification – stress reduction
- Beautifying body / face – remove dead skin and toxins
- Skin nourishment / hydration – moisture, vitamins, minerals
- Anti-aging – allow organs to breathe while toning the skin
- Muscle tension and pain reduction
- Better sleep
- Boost the immune system – activate blood circulation
- Improved body / mind connection – more energy, balance
Mint Tea and Freshly-Squeezed Pomegranate Juice
Sipping mint tea in a cooling room is the grand finale of a Moroccan hammam. I’m addicted to the delicious drink and enjoy it every day. It’s made from gunpowder green tea and fresh mint leaves. Gunpower green tea increases energy, improves endurance, and is beneficial to your health. It’s heaven when you add fresh mint, a touch of honey, and serve with a few dates!
Fresh pomegranate juice is another favorite drink in Morocco. You can buy it in the Medina or at stands along the beach, and watch Moroccan vendors squeeze juice from the gorgeous scarlet-red fruit.
Egyptian Pyramids Next
This time in Essaouira has been educational and beneficial in many ways, but also very challenging. I visited Morocco years ago as a younger woman. It was an entirely different experience of adventure group trekking for several weeks in the Atlas Mountains, followed by short, fast-paced group excursions in Essaouira, Marrakech, and Casablanca. During a dizzying slam-bang day trip, I fell in love with Essaouira and vowed to return for a more leisurely visit – slow travel is always the best…
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“The concept of Slow Travel is a movement that prioritizes quality rather than quantity, when it comes to traveling and seeing new places. The aim of the movement is discovering the true spirit of the place visited, instead of historical or cultural places, buildings, museums, art galleries, or avenues and streets frequented along the majority of classical travel routes.”
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During my time in Essaouira, it took a few weeks to get into the swing of local vibes. Essaouira isn’t an easy place for a solo woman traveler, but my wanderings are about experiencing and understanding local cultures, values, and way of life first-hand. Even though I’m an experienced traveler, the massive cultural change surprised me and was greater than imagined.
Goodbye Morocco
I don’t belabor negative experiences in my travel blog, but acclimating to Essaouira came with a bit of discomfort. During extended travel, you learn the most from challenges, and Moroccan culture can be harsh for a westerner traveling alone. If you let it, the experience might even drive you a little crazy.
I repeatedly learned how it feels to look different and be the “oddball” in every crowd. I could write a book about being “gawked” at, and experiencing what discrimination really feels like. In the end, I gave up “explaining myself” and simply tried to be as humble and inconspicuous as possible while mixing and mingling with locals and European tourists – I encountered zero Americans. For solo travelers, l find larger, more cosmopolitan cities an easier place to acclimate and blend – small towns in Morocco or anywhere else in the world, not so much…
I learned “insider” details about Moroccan religion, food, culture, and traditions. The experience was another enlightening lesson in the importance of self-reliance, patience, and tolerance. As I’ve often said, living life totally within your comfort zone bubble, constantly surrounded by familiar people and places isn’t for me. I try to keep an open mind and avoid fixed habits and a predetermined mindset. Even so, trying to maintain a calm, open mind while traveling alone in foreign countries can be forgotten easily when facing obstacles and major challenges.
In foreign countries, demanding situations are likely to happen. There’s no choice but to remain flexible with a positive attitude. Expecting anything to be the same as you’re accustomed to in a comfortable, familiar living environment is unrealistic and makes acclimation more difficult. Taking personal responsibility for your travel experience is essential, but even so, “going with the flow of foreign countries” can be complicated and fraught with surprise pitfalls that don’t always make sense to westerners.
You’re not in control of the environment. Whining and complaining isn’t helpful, and it’s unlikely solo travelers will find a shoulder to cry on. You must remain strong, focusing on embracing and learning about the cultural differences surrounding you. The affect – how you perceive yourself and the rest of the world – can be significant and life changing.
Hello Egypt
In February, I leave Morocco and continue my travels in Giza and Luxor Egypt. I’m excited to visit the Egyptian pyramids! It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time! A taste of the Moroccan desert sparked my curiosity, and I’m looking forward to excursions in the Egyptian desert and exploring the ancient pyramids. My apartment rental is near the pyramids of Giza, and I’ll also be exploring the temples and tombs of nearby Luxor. Later, I may venture into bustling Cairo, with a population of 16+ million. I’ll likely be missing the energy of a larger city, so will stay a while if I like it there.
More from Egypt…