What can you do in Essaouira when it's windy?

The first thing to know about Essaouira is that the wind isn't a flaw — it's the town's defining feature and even its nickname, "the Windy City" (Mogador to its old Portuguese founders). The strong, steady Atlantic trade winds (the "Alizés") blow most reliably in spring and summer, and rather than fighting them, the smart move is to plan around them: some of Essaouira's best experiences are because of the wind, and the ones that aren't are easy to find in the sheltered old town.

If you have any appetite for watersports, a windy Essaouira is a gift. This is one of the premier windsurfing and kitesurfing destinations in the world, drawing enthusiasts precisely for that dependable cross-shore wind and the big sweeping bay. The beach is lined with schools and rental outfits, and even a complete beginner can take a lesson — there's nothing quite like harnessing the same wind that's been blowing sand in your face and turning it into a thrill on the water. If watersports aren't for you, it's still a great spectacle to watch the colourful sails skim across the bay from a beachfront café.

When you want to escape the gusts, the medina is your refuge. Essaouira's walled old town, with its narrow lanes and tall buildings, blocks the wind beautifully, so the souks, the art galleries (the town is a noted artists' colony, full of paintings and crafts), and the whitewashed-and-blue streets are comfortable to wander even on a blowy day. Browse the thuya-wood workshops — Essaouira is famous for its fragrant, beautifully grained marquetry boxes and bowls, carved from the local thuya tree — and pick up the relaxed, hassle-light shopping the town is loved for. The wind simply doesn't reach you much in the heart of the medina.

A few more wind-friendly pleasures. Walk the Skala de la Ville, the old sea-facing ramparts lined with bronze cannons, where the wind and crashing Atlantic spray are part of the drama (hold onto your hat — and these ramparts famously featured in Game of Thrones as Astapor). Down at the bustling working port, watch the blue boats come in and eat impossibly fresh grilled sardines and fish straight off the grills — a quintessential Essaouira lunch, sheltered among the harbour stalls. And the wide, firm beach is wonderful for a bracing walk or, especially, a horse or camel ride along the sand, where a stiff breeze at your back is exhilarating rather than annoying.

My honest steer: don't let the wind put you off Essaouira — it's milder and cooler than inland Morocco and the breeze is part of the charm. On a really blustery day, take a watersports lesson if you're game, then duck into the medina for galleries, thuya wood and souks, walk the ramparts, lunch on grilled fish at the port, and ride the beach at golden hour. That's a perfect Essaouira day in any wind, and it's the rhythm our two-day Essaouira itinerary follows.