Riad Sultanes

Eight rooms wrap a central courtyard inside Riad Sultanes, tucked down Derb Ali Ibn Abi Talib in Essaouira's medina, a five-minute walk from the Skala ramparts and fish port stalls — a quiet base for couples and travelers who prefer walking the old town over driving it.

Rooms open onto the courtyard rather than a corridor, keeping traffic noise out; a rooftop terrace above catches the afternoon wind the city is named for. Breakfast is served there, weather permitting.

Medina gates lie close enough that luggage arrives by handcart, not car.