Riad Sidi Magdoul

Carved from a merchant house off rue Abdesmih in Essaouira's medina, Riad Sidi Magdoul keeps its original cedar ceiling beams and a central patio open to the sky, cooled by the Atlantic wind that gives the town its name. Rooms circle the courtyard on two levels, each with thick stone walls that hold the morning chill through afternoon.

Breakfast is taken on the rooftop terrace, facing the fishing port ramparts a five-minute walk away. The Skala seawall and its cannon-lined battlements sit just beyond the medina gate, making this a quiet base for travellers preferring walkable, car-free streets over the newer beachfront hotels south of town.