CityBest April – June, September – October
Essaouira
A walled Atlantic port with blue fishing boats, fresh grilled sardines, and wind strong enough to have its own reputation.
Essaouira trades the heat of the interior for sea air and a near-constant Atlantic wind — locals call it the "Alizé," and it's part of why windsurfers love the place and beachgoers should pack a layer. The ramparts, the fishing port and the medina's blue-and-white doorways are all a fraction of Marrakech's foot traffic, an hour and a half over the mountains.