Essaouira

Essaouira is not Taghazout. Where Taghazout runs on point breaks and surf culture, Essaouira runs on something older — a walled medina that has been a trading port since the 18th century, a blue-and-white architecture shaped by Portuguese, French, and Berber hands, Gnawa musicians in the squares after dark. The UNESCO designation is deserved. The port still smells like grilled sardines. The town's bohemian reputation dates from the 1970s when Jimi Hendrix and Cat Stevens came through and the hippie trail found the Atlantic coast.

The surf is best November through March, when the Atlantic NW swells arrive and the trade winds that dominate the summer months drop enough to let the waves stand up. Sidi Kaouki, 25 kilometres south, is the more consistent option — a long beach break with forgiving peaks and considerably less wind. Moulay Bouzerktoun to the north is the step up: faster, more powerful, better for surfers who know what they're doing. The same trade winds that complicate surfing in summer make Essaouira one of the strongest kitesurf and windsurf destinations in Africa. The hotels in this collection are all inside or against the medina walls, which is the only place to stay.