Essaouira is one of the most beautiful, unspoiled towns in Morocco. It's a friendly, laid back place with a cosmopolitan mix of people. It's also one of the top surfing locations in north Africa.

Essaouira also has one of the best beaches in the country. It stretches for miles and miles; it's one of the town's main attractions. Essaouira has managed to escape mass tourism; most state investment over the years has been put into Casablanca. It remains an attractive alternative to the more typical package holiday location. Most of the people who go to Essaouira are either hippies, surfers arty types or independent travelers.

Essaouira is a hub of contemporary Moroccan art and has been for centuries. It's a magnet for poets, scientists and all kinds of creative talent. Artists such as Nurredin Alioua, Mohammed Tabal and Mohammed Bouada, have all drawn inspiration from its unmistakable charm. Even Jimi Hendrix had a soft spot for this place.

First of all check out the Place de L'Indépendence (the main square). It's just across from the port in the "Safi" area. Essaouira is well known for its café culture; here's where you'll find all the main cafés, restaurants and patisseries. There's much drinking, eating, and socializing; you can sit here all day long, from breakfast to midnight, and just watch the world go by.

The Skala of the Kasbah is a fantastic fort. It's made famous by the rows of gigantic canons that point out over the Atlantic Ocean. This is also where Orson Wells shot certain scenes in the film version of Shakespeare's Othello.

Being a port city, fish is on every menu and it's some of the best you'll find in Morocco. If you go down to the port you can buy fresh fish (caught that morning) from the daily fish market. They'll even cook it there and then, right in front of you.

Other places well worth visiting in Essaouirra include; the Portuguese Chapel, the Kechla (an massive imposing stronghold); the Taros (a beautifully restored café-restaurant and roof terrace) and, don't forget, the stunning beach.