If there is one thing that can be said of Morocco, it is that it is vast country with diverse pockets.

One of those pockets is the sleepy port city of Essaouira.

Sprawling on the Atlantic Coast of Morocco, this town has been described as a cross between North Africa and the Mediterranean and is also colloquially called the ‘windy city of Africa’ by many.

While enjoying about 300 days of sunshine, for much of the year, the wind blows so hard in Essaouira that it is definitely a windsurfers paradise but a sunbakers nightmare. That does not make it any less beautiful or worthy of a visit. Particularly on hot summer days, that salty wind makes for a refreshing change from the heat of the desert and packed cities.

Unlike many other parts of Morocco, Essaouria is not jam-packed with must-see sights, but I found it a fantastic spot to spend a few days exploring and relaxing.

This is the city that spawned my love of coloured doors and I could watch the brightly painted blue boats rolling in the harbour for hours.

After waking with the call to prayer (played over loudspeakers placed conveniently right outside my window), my days here started with a walk or a run along the 2km beach. Watching the kite-fliers and locals playing football on the seemingly endless curve of sand is a great distraction. For those more active, windsurfing is a very popular activity here.

While I did jump in the water once, that Atlantic Ocean was a bit cold for this Aussie!

Breakfast and lunch were usually found somewhere in the Medina. Unlike Fez, the medina here is very easy to navigate and I didn’t get lost once!

You can’t walk very far without finding a crepe stand if you need a sweet snack.

As you wander through narrow alleyways lined by tall whitewashed buildings there are still plenty of twists and turns, but it is nothing like the chaotic maze of the bigger cities. The centre of the medina is Place Moulay Hassan, a big square where the cafés are perfect for people-watching with a view of the ocean and there are many artisan shops and local argan oil co-operatives to browse.

The old town is protected by imposing 18th-century ramparts that once were used to protect the port from pirates. The seawalls are an excellent location to take a stroll and admire the gorgeous ocean views – or for Game of Thrones fans, relive the scene where Daenerys meets the Unsullied Army in season three.

In the port, you can walk along the seawall to have a better view of the entire harbour and a little further, a fantastic view of the long stretch of beach. Walking through the port, you can’t help but be mesmerised by the famous blue wooden fishing boats, called Floukas.

After watching the fisherman return each day with their catch, seafood is the obvious choice for dinner. This was also a nice change from the many chicken tagines and kofta eaten all over the country, but the more traditional Moroccan fare is still available and delicious.

The only way to end each is to watch the sun set over the Atlantic. Nature puts on a spectacular light show you can catch from the ramparts or even just down on the beach.

I would be wary of some of the hawkers down on the beach at dusk, we were offered what I am pretty sure were hash cookies at one point and managed to score some new (somewhat unwanted) henna tattoos from some women on the beach. They only spoke Arabic and just started drawing on my arm then expecting payment. Thankfully, it faded quickly with the help of a bit of nail polish remover.

One of my favourite aspects of this seaside town is that you can literally walk everywhere – not haggling with aggressive taxi drivers for a couple of days was a wonderful reprieve.

Essaouira has a very laid-back vibe and you won’t find the opulent hotels of Marrakech here but that is all part of its charm. The people here are also very chilled out, making it the perfect break in a hectic trip around Morocco. I am so glad we had a couple of nights here even though it can be visited as a day trip from Marrakech.

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