What are the best things to do in Essaouira?

Essaouira is the place I send people who want Morocco to slow down and breathe. The single best thing to do is simply walk the ramparts — the Skala de la Ville, the long sea-facing bastion lined with old bronze cannons, where the Atlantic crashes below and the light turns golden in the late afternoon. Orson Welles filmed Othello here and Game of Thrones used it for Astapor, and standing on those walls with the wind and the gulls, you understand why. It is free, it is unforgettable, and it is the heart of the town's character.

The medina itself is the second pleasure, and it is the easiest in Morocco to enjoy. Laid out on a tidy grid by an 18th-century French engineer, it is whitewashed with blue shutters, walkable without getting hopelessly lost, and far gentler on the nerves than Fes or Marrakech — the hassle here is mild and the mood relaxed. It is full of art galleries and the workshops of the thuya-wood craftsmen, who carve and inlay the fragrant local cedar-like wood into boxes and furniture; Essaouira is the place to buy that if you want it. Wander, pop into galleries, drink mint tea on a square, and let the day unwind.

For me, the port and the beach are the other two essentials. At the working fishing port, the blue boats unload their catch and you can pick a fish at the grills and have it cooked on the spot — simple, fresh and brilliant, eaten at communal tables with the smell of charcoal and the sea. The long sweep of beach beyond the town is famous for wind: Essaouira is one of the world's great spots for windsurfing and kitesurfing, and even if you do not get on the water, watching the sails skim the bay is a fine way to spend an hour. Camel and horse rides along the sand are easy to arrange too.

My honest guidance: Essaouira is best as a one-to-two-night stop, not a rushed day trip — its whole appeal is the unhurried pace, and you want an evening to feel it. Pack a light jacket even in summer, because the famous wind (the alizé) makes it markedly cooler and breezier than inland, which is exactly why it is such a relief from the heat of Marrakech a few hours east. Some galleries and workshops keep loose hours and the fish grills depend on the day's catch, so go with a flexible plan and let the town set the rhythm.