Essaouira

Essaouira sits on a promontory on Morocco's Atlantic coast, enclosed by 18th-century Portuguese ramparts. The constant wind that batters the coast also keeps temperatures moderate and crowds thin. The medina is compact and well-preserved, with a working fishing port that supplies the restaurants lining the harbour. The Gnawa music tradition is strongest here and the city has been attracting artists for decades, giving it a creative character that Marrakech's tourism economy has smoothed away.