Riad Dar Latigeo

Twelve rooms wrap a plant-filled courtyard behind an unmarked door on Rue Youssef Ben Tachfine, deep in Essaouira's medina walls. Riad Dar Latigeo keeps its original cedar ceilings and tadelakt plasterwork, with a rooftop terrace facing the fishing port's gulls and the Atlantic beyond the ramparts.

Breakfast is taken on that terrace, weather permitting, with mint tea poured from a height as tradition demands. The souks and Skala fortifications lie within a five-minute walk, making this a quiet base for travellers who want the medina's noise at a manageable distance rather than underfoot.