Stayed for 11 nights in a room on the beautiful roof terrace. The riad turned out to be a delightful place, full of charm and character with very friendly and helpful staff. Felt more like home than a hotel. Took breakfast in the sun on the terrace amongst the gulls which was lovely.

www.riadmaisondusud.com
29 Avenue Mohammed ben Abdellah, Essaouira 44100, Morocco
+212 24474141
Google map: bit.ly/rpoWx6

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PLACES TO STAY
We were happy with the Cherifa Suite (approximately $200/night) at Madada Mogador. Nice, contemporary style; convenient location (just inside the medina); pleasant manager who is happy to provide advice and answer questions; and a ginormous deck. And, the liquor store is only a 15-minute walk.

THINGS TO DO
- Have a drink at the Taros rooftop deck. Pretty people, pretty views.

- It's cliche but, see The Ramparts at dusk.

- Get scrubbed at the Hammam Lilla Mira. This was the (unexpected) highlight of our trip to Essaouira.

- Buy argan oil. You'll never find it this cheap in The States.

- Visit Galerie d'Art Damgaard. Stunning pieces by local artists on sale for reasonable prices.

- Treat yourself to aperitifs (and impressive, complementray hors d'ouevres) in the Heure Bleu lounge.

WHERE TO EAT
- Have a drink on the rooftop deck at Taros. Beautiful view; even beautiful-er people.

- Dine at Le Patio. Sophisticated, yet homey. DO order seafood.

- Lunch at Creperie for a safe, no-nonsense crepe in a convenient location.

- Aperitif It at the Heure Bleu's swanky cocktail lounge. The (complementary) "bar snacks" are first-class.

- Dine at Restaurant La Licorne. Charming. Order the Lyonnaise salad (trust me on this).

Full Essaouira trip report (plus Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains) at: www.travelmusings.net/morocco/

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A budget place (I haggled it down to 100dhrs in January 08) with predictably bare rooms (no heating), but a pretty patio and very helpful (if not English-speaking) staff. No ensuites, but bathrooms are clean and showers powerful. Thirty steps off the main tourist drag in a predictably scruffy alleyway, takes some time to locate.

10 rue Abdessalam Labadi www.riadessaouira.com 00212(0)24783323

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A super-stylish converted riad hotel down a quiet alley (but not far from the seafront) in Essaouira. Think World of Interiors or Elle Decor cover shots. It's also got a great roof terrace and rooms are spacious and not overpriced, though the rates do seem to be on the rise since I stayed in summer 2005.

2, rue Souss - Médina
44000 Essaouira
Tel. 00212 24 47 53 46
Fax. 00212 24 47 53 48
www.darloulema.com/

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