Essaouira
This relatively small and compact resort, measuring approximately 1.5km x 800m, like many Moroccan destinations, offers a combination of authentic souks in an ancient medina, immediately adjacent to a slowly developing modern extension.
The destination is a popular weekend retreat for those wishing to escape the more robust Marrakech and Casablanca, both of which are little more than a couple of hours away by a much improved road. The resort is relatively clean and bright with a totally traffic free medina, which attracts flocks of day trippers from Agadir and Marrakech.
A once thriving industrial area, to the north of the touristic centre, has little usage nowadays and the port, on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, is no longer recognised as a major point of entry to the country. There are 16,000 homes squeezed into the medina, with many now restored and owned by Europeans.