Riad Dombaraka

Forty steps off Derb El Qadi, Riad Dombaraka sits behind an unmarked wooden door typical of Azbezt, one of the medina's quieter residential pockets away from the souk's main tourist arteries. The courtyard keeps its original zellige fountain and citrus trees, shading a small plunge pool used mainly at midday.

Rooms open onto the courtyard rather than a corridor, so light and orange-blossom scent carry through the ground floor each morning. Breakfast is served on the rooftop terrace, with Koutoubia's minaret visible above the surrounding rooftops.

Jemaa el-Fnaa lies a ten-minute walk south, close enough for evening visits but far enough for a quiet night's sleep.