Riad Azul

Three floors of tadelakt-plastered rooms wrap Riad Azul's inner courtyard on Rue Abdessalam Labbadi, deep in Essaouira's walled medina, a five-minute walk from the fishing port and Skala ramparts — a quiet base for couples and families wanting the old city on foot rather than by taxi.

Rooms open onto the courtyard rather than the street, keeping Atlantic wind noise out; a rooftop sun deck catches it instead, above the tangle of medina alleys. Breakfast and special-diet meals are served in the courtyard or delivered to rooms on request.

Stairs only reach the upper floors, worth noting for guests with heavy luggage; baggage storage covers the gap.