Essaouira, Morocco 1

Bright and breezy Essaouira (formerly Mogador), on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, is an enchanting, laid-back alternative to the frenetic melting-pot of Marrakesh. The town’s name means “little picture” in Arabic, and it’s a painter’s dream location, with a vibrant blue-and-white “medina” (inner walled city), enclosed by fairy-tale, sand-coloured ramparts and imposing stone gates (“Babs”). Beyond the colourful port, rolling waves and a wide beach stretching for miles complete the canvas.

The Medina of Essaouira has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. It is an exceptional example of a late-18th-century fortified town, built according to the principles of contemporary European military architecture in a North African context.