Riad Al Madina

Anchored on Rue Attarine deep in Essaouira's medina, Riad Al Madina occupies a former merchant house where original tadelakt walls and a citrus-tree courtyard survive largely intact. The blue-shuttered facade gives no hint of the scale inside — rooms wrap three storeys around the open patio.

A rooftop terrace looks toward the ramparts and Atlantic beyond; breakfast moves there on clear mornings. The port and fish grills sit a seven-minute walk south, while the Skala fortifications are closer still, making this a base for travellers exploring on foot rather than by car.