Dar Liouba

Down a narrow alleyway in the heart of the old city, an imposing wooden door leads into an unexpectedly airy, light-filled space. A spiral staircase winds up three floors to the eight rooms, where bright white walls are offset with colourful cushions and throws that give the rooms their names. Then it’s just a few more steps to the expansive terrace, with panoramic views over the medina. The breakfast menu – served in the stylish lounge or on the terrace – changes with the seasons but there’s always orange or mandarin juice, freshly baked bread and homemade jams, and friendly staff to answer any questions.

• Doubles from €49 B&B, +212 524 47 62 97, darliouba.eu

Dar les Sirènes, Essaouira



Italian architect Edoardo Miotti has transformed a medina house into a modern Moroccan space, where the five rooms fuse tradition – tadelakt walls, fragrant thuya wood and shaggy rugs – with clean lines. And there are plenty of peaceful lounging spaces, from the sun-drenched roof terrace to cosy nooks around the log fire on the ground floor. Edoardo will share his tips and organise activities, from Berber cooking classes, to horse riding and kitesurfing. Warfa and Said take care of guests when he’s not around. Breakfast – including Warfa’s homemade jams – is served at long wooden tables until a leisurely 11am.

• Doubles from €70 B&B, +212 524 784 838, darlesirenes.com

Riad Malaïka, Essaouira



Tucked down a quiet medina street, Riad Malaika is a beautifully preserved 300-year-old riad; all ornate stucco, painted cedar wood and gleaming zellij tiles. The hands-on French owners, Sylvie and Pierre-Marc, have given the 10 high-ceilinged rooms a different look and feel, but all are exquisitely decorated, with antique furniture and tiled bathrooms. There are Moroccan breads and pastries for breakfast every morning – guests can watch them being made in the open kitchen – and in the evenings market-fresh fare is served in front of a log fire.

• Doubles from €69 B&B, +212 524 784 908, riad-essaouira-malaika.com

Jack’s Bohemian Suites, Essaouira



Tucked behind Essaouira’s honey-coloured ramparts on the edge of the medina, just a short walk from the port and the beach, the recently opened Jack’s Bohemian Suites make a stylish base. The five suites are quirkily decorated, with everything from exposed brick walls to flock wallpaper, plus nods to traditional Moroccan decor in the colourful bed throws, tiled floors and brightly coloured tadelakt bathrooms. They all have access to a small kitchen, where you can rustle up coffee and freshly squeezed juice, and a roof terrace, where breakfast is served. Perfect for sunbathing and stargazing, it has show-stopping views over the pounding Atlantic waves.

• Doubles from €58 B&B, jacksuites.com

Riad du Figuier, Essaouira



This 18th-century dazzlingly white, blue-shuttered riad has been turned into a relaxed B&B, built around a lovely courtyard garden, with citrus trees and a tinkling fountain. The five white-walled rooms come with tiled floors, beamed ceilings and splashes of vibrant colour from blankets, rugs and local art. Breakfast – including freshly squeezed orange juice, Moroccan breads and the riad’s own fig jam – is served on the roof terrace, or in the sunshine-yellow ground-floor lounge, where a log fire wards off evening chills. Those who don’t want to eat out can order a typical three-course dinner, and learn how to make it, too.

• Doubles from €41 B&B (€35 without breakfast), +212 667 80 69 77, riadfiguier.com

Riad Dar Maya, Essaouira



English expat Gareth Turpin’s take on a traditional dar is sleek and sophisticated, decorated with a mix of souk finds and contemporary Moroccan crafts, such as flour-sack covered pouffes. The five calm and contemporary rooms are spread over three floors. Some have private balconies and all are decorated in neutral tones, with smooth tadelakt walls, elegant alcoves, log fires and made-for-sharing bathtubs. There are plenty of chill-out zones too, for enjoying a leisurely breakfast. The rooftop terrace has sea views and a heated plunge pool, and there’s a bijoux hammam, where guests are steamed, scrubbed and massaged into a state of utter bliss.

• Doubles from €120 B&B, +212 524 785 687, riaddarmaya.com

Riad Dar Afram, Essaouira



Abdellatif and Tarik, the Moroccan-Australian owners, have kept the classic Moroccan style of this laid-back riad, with stained-glass windows, painted wooden ceilings and colourful kilim rugs. The six rooms have en suite bathrooms and are spacious enough to hold extra beds for families or groups of friends, while the patio garden has been converted into a convivial lounge area. Essaouira is one of Morocco’s most musical towns, from exuberant Gnaoua rhythms to a gypsy and flamenco festival in October. Musicians gravitate to this riad, and it’s not unusual for impromptu all-night jam sessions to break out in the candlelit Moorish salon or on the roof terrace post-barbecue.

• Doubles from €27 B&B, +212 524 785 657, darafram.com

Dar Adul, Essaouira



This diminutive guesthouse has larger-than-life decor. Artist Didier Spindler – who owns the equally colourful Caravane Café – has decorated it in his own unique style, where Asia meets Moroccan vintage, and the white walls are covered in his vibrant oil paintings. The four double rooms and two suites are just as eclectic – one has a private terrace, another a four-poster bed, another an open fire. The roof terrace is perfect for sundowners, with stunning sea views and plenty of seating, and the patio and rooms off it have been turned into an intimate dining space, which is open to the public as well as guests.

• Doubles from €55 B&B, whole riad rental available, +212 524 47 39 10, daradul.ma

Madada Mogador, Essaouira



Up the narrow tiled stairway, through a wooden door, lies a taupe-hued, open-plan lobby-cum-lounge. With no reception desk to speak of, it’s like stepping into a glamorous apartment. The building once belonged to a wealthy merchant and the seven rooms and suites are decorated in muted tones, with indulgent bathrooms – large tubs and twin aged-brass basins. The house sits right on the medina’s edge, which means uninterrupted views across the seafront from the rooftop terrace. Next door is the equally chic restaurant, La Table by Madada, and L’Atelier Madada, which runs cooking workshops.

• Doubles from €115 B&B, +212 524 475 512, madada.com

Le Douar des Arganiers, Sidi Kaouki



Laidback Sidi Kaouki, just 30 minutes’ drive from Essaouira, is a long-time favourite with surfers. Tania and Ali, hailing from Switzerland and Morocco respectively, have created a tranquil home-cum-guesthouse a short walk from the beach. Built by a local architect, the four expansive suites blend contemporary and classic Moroccan design, with bare stone walls and wooden beams, and a separate living space with a fireplace. Some have balconies and all have views over the countryside, dotted with argan trees. Solar panels provide electricity, heat the water and power the well, and a wastewater system takes care of the garden, while open-plan areas encourage relaxed chat over breakfast or a tasty tagine in the evenings.

• Doubles from €75 B&B, +212 613 206 042, douardesarganiers.com