Essaouira

Essaouira is a breath of Atlantic air on Morocco's western coast. Its fortified medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a maze of art galleries, seafood stalls, and whitewashed buildings with blue shutters. The annual Gnawa festival draws musicians from across the world, but the music never really stops.

The ramparts, built by the French architect Theodore Cornut in the 18th century, look out over a harbor filled with traditional blue fishing boats. Inside the walls, the medina is remarkably calm compared to Marrakech or Fes. This is Morocco at its most relaxed.