The Essaouira Edit is a 5-day, 4-night curated reading retreat in a beautiful Riad near the Moroccan Coast.
Designed for rest, connection, and the love of reading, we offer you the one thing you can’t buy: permission to do nothing.
Whether you are lost in a novel by the pool or dressing for one of our curated dinners under the stars, this is an opportunity for culture, solitude and community.
“Book Butler” poolside service ensures your glass is never empty while you immerse yourself in your book.
Discuss your favourite books, characters, writers and tropes. This is a chance to form new connections and discuss what we love most, books!
Learn the art of traditional pasta-making from a local Nonna followed by our themed finale dinner party
Choose your 2026 residency window:
Retreat 1: Thursday 21st – Monday 25th May
Retreat 2: Wednesday 27th – Sunday 31st May
Pricing & Inclusions:
Shared Sanctuary Suite: $1,795 (Standard: $1,995) per person
Couples Sanctuary: $2,050 (Standard: $2,250) per person
Solo Private Sanctuary: $2,695 (Standard: $2,895) per person
Includes: Luxury accommodation, private chef (breakfast/dinner), most lunches, all activities, and private group transfers.
Deposit: $650 to secure your spot.
This is a sample flow for the residency. Exact timings and activities may shift slightly based on weather and local partners.
Afternoon – Group arrival: Private group shuttle departs Marrakech (RAK) for Essaouira. Guests receive a “Road to the Coast” kit: chilled rose‑water mist, spiced nuts, and a curated “Essaouira Edit” playlist for the 3‑hour drive.
Guests arriving outside this window can book a private transfer via our concierge.
Arrival at the villa: Light lunch of fruit and pastries on arrival.
The Scented Welcome: burning Oud and orange blossom, traditional mint tea, and a rose‑water hand‑washing ritual to mark the shift from “travel mode” to “sanctuary mode.”
Evening – Welcome Dinner: Private chef dinner focused on Moroccan spices. Guests guess the notes of saffron, cumin and cinnamon in each dish.
Morning: The villa enters a period of radical silence: no small talk, just you, the pool, and the page.
“Book Butlers” circulate with fresh coffee and fruit, communicating only through quiet nods and signal coasters.
Lunch: Light, fresh lunch served al fresco to gently break the silence.
Afternoon: Three spacious hours of absolutely nothing scheduled. Nap, read, journal, or simply stare at the cactus garden.
Evening: Dinner out (not included). You’ll get a “Little Black Book” of our favourite local spots and choose your own adventure.
Late Morning – Creative Eye Walk: Guided walk through the Medina from a Creative Director’s lens. No monuments; we chase texture, woodworkers, weavers, and the small details most people miss.
Each guest finds one talisman (a postcard, piece of Thuya wood, or textile) to act as their bookmark for the week.
Lunch: Two‑hour autonomous lunch window. We provide a map of introvert‑friendly cafés so you can practice the art of dining alone with a book.
Sunset: Back at the villa, a Gnawa Maalem (master musician) performs an intimate acoustic set at sunset. We explore the music as a form of “unwritten narrative.”
Evening: High‑energy dinner served under the stars immediately after the performance.
Morning – Sunday Salon: “Letters to Future Self”: a guided writing session to capture whatever clarity has surfaced during the week.
Midday: Lavish, slow‑grazing Moroccan spread. No rush to leave the table.
Afternoon: Two mobile therapists set up a pop‑up spa at the villa. Guests can book 30‑minute massage slots (extra cost) while others lounge by the pool with mint tea.
Evening – Finale Dinner: Dress code: all white/cream/linens.
“Community Library”: each guest leaves a handwritten book recommendation in our communal journal for the next group.
Morning: No alarms. Breakfast is served on a rolling basis, so you can eat when you wake.
Departures & Transfers
Private group shuttles return to Marrakech, timed around guests’ flights.
Final timings and activities may be adjusted to honour local conditions and guest needs.
Our residencies are intimate by design. Request access to secure your spot, or inquire about reserving a private week for your book club.
Between the Lines Reading Retreats is a trading name of Jaiye Journeys.
All itineraries and pricing are indicative and subject to confirmation upon booking launch.
Dates: 21–25 May 2026 or 27–31 May 2026
Price: From $1,795 per person (Founders Circle rate)
Deposit: $650 USD to secure your spot
Balance Due: 6 weeks before departure
Includes: Villa stay, most meals, all hosted activities, group transfers, welcome box
For the girlies who live in their Goodreads app, pack a book for every flight, and are overdue a soft‑life reset. Especially Black women and women of colour who want to be looked after, not put in charge of organising everything.
Yes. The retreat is open to all genders. The curation and community are centred around readers who value rest, care, and respect; if that’s them, they’re welcome.
If a man is sharing a room with someone they don’t already know, we’ll match them thoughtfully and always by consent (no surprise mixed‑gender room shares, unless you really want to!).
You can fly into Marrakech (RAK) or Essaouira (ESU).
We recommend Marrakech (RAK) because there are more flight options and better routes from most major cities.
If you arrive in Marrakech within the main arrival window, we’ll pick you up in a private group shuttle straight to the villa in Essaouira.
Landing earlier, later, or into Essaouira? Our concierge can arrange a private transfer at an additional cost.
If you’d like help finding the best flights for your dates and departure city, we’re happy to support you with options and suggested routes.
Your chapter in Essaouira comes with:
5 days / 4 nights in a private riad‑style villa
Daily breakfast or brunch
Three chef‑hosted dinners (Welcome, Feast, and White Finale Dinner)
Two hosted lunches
Arrival snacks and poolside fruit, coffee & mint tea
All scheduled experiences (Creative Eye walk, Gnawa night, salons, etc.)
Private group transfers between Marrakech airport and the villa (main arrival/departure times)
A curated welcome box waiting on your bed
Gnawa is Morocco’s hypnotic spiritual music tradition, born from the 16th-century fusion of West African healing rituals (brought by enslaved ancestors from Mali, Guinea, and Senegal) and Sufi Islam. Performed with the guembri (a 3-string bass lute), iron castanets, and deep vocals, it’s a trance-like ceremony historically used for healing, protection, and connecting to the divine, think rhythmic storytelling that moves your soul.
For our “Between the Lines” residents, it’s more than music: it’s a live link to Black diasporic roots, female resilience (we’re booking rising women maâlems when possible), and communal joy. You’ll witness (or even join) a private villa performance that ties perfectly to our themes of heritage, sisterhood, and self-discovery. No prior knowledge needed, just bring your open heart.
Flights to and from Morocco
Travel insurance (non‑negotiable)
Dinner out in the Medina on the “free night”
Extra drinks, shopping money, and spa add‑ons
Private transfers if you arrive outside the main group shuttle window
A $650 USD deposit locks in your spot. The rest of your balance is due 6 weeks before departure. If you book after that point, the full amount will be due at sign-up.
Yes! We offer flexible payment plans directly on our booking page, with no extra fees from us.
Need buy-now-pay-later options? Contact us at hello@jaiyejourneys.com, and we’ll arrange it through our trusted partners.
No, your deposit is non‑refundable, because it goes straight towards holding the villa and paying our local team. If life happens, you can transfer your spot to another guest up to 30 days before we travel (we’ll just need to approve the name change and handle a small admin fee of $75).
60+ days before the retreat: Anything you’ve paid on top of the deposit can be refunded, minus an admin fee.
30–60 days before: 50% of your total retreat cost is refundable.
Less than 30 days before: No refunds, but we’ll help you try to transfer your spot to someone else.
Full terms will be laid out clearly on the booking page before you pay.
Please do. (It’s a great way to network!)
You can book a Solo Private Sanctuary if you want your own space, or a Shared Sanctuary Suite if you’re happy to room with another book lover (or share with a friend you already know).
No 11 a.m. panic checkout here. The villa is yours for the full final day.
Stay as long as you need: Your room is yours until your airport transfer leaves. No kicking you out at 10 a.m.
Flexible Transfers: We’ll group your transfer with others flying at similar times, so you leave when it makes sense for your flight.
Extending your trip? You’re welcome to rest by the pool until you need to head to your next stop.
The energy is: soft landing back to real life, not chaos.
Yes. Travel insurance is required,for medical, cancellations, flight drama, all of it. It protects you and it protects the group. We’ll ask for proof before we go.
