Essaouira

Essaouira is one of Morocco's most enjoyable and attractive towns on the coast. It's charm is undeniable with its white washed and blue shuttered houses, art galleries, wood workshops, fishermen and colourful boats- all enclosed by ancient red walls. The town faces a group of rocky islands and is surrounded by an expanse of empty sandy beaches and dunes. Everything in the small centre is within walking distance and the beaches are quite clean. In summer many people from the big cities come for a day or two to escape the heat and tension of Casablanca and Marrakesh. Interestingly, it is also the city that contains the "castle" from Jimi Hendrix's song "Castles in the Sand" - and it is melting into the sea, on a beach, on the outskirts of town. Many tourists are attracted by the constant wind, good for wind-surfing and surfing. The windy city has become internationally famous for its contests and has brought windsurfers from all over the world.