Essaouira is above all a port. There is nothing artificial about the town with its eventful history. It is authentic Morocco, facing the ocean…

The first thing you feel tempted to do here is to walk around the fortifications. From the Kasbah's Sqala, the old artillery platform of the medina's maritime ramparts, the view over the port's Sqala, the ocean coastline and the medina, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, is remarkable. At street level, in the souks that surround the Clocktower, some of Morocco's best marquetry craftsmen fashion sandarac wood with ancestral precision.

In the Souss valley, and only there, the argan tree grows, from which argan oil is harvested. In town, the women's cooperatives that run the sector market this renowned oil. Skin moisturising, anti-ageing: its properties have been proven. To familiarise yourself with another facet of the local crafts, visit Chbanate street, accessible from the Bab Marrakech bastion, and its weaving workshops producing wool blankets that can either be ecru or brightly coloured.

In the beautiful little port, which can be accessed through the Bab El Marsa gate, the return of the boats at the end of the morning is a daily event. The baskets are unloaded under the keen eyes of the dancing seagulls. Take the opportunity to try some freshly-caught grilled fish in a gargote. On the endless beach, let the ocean breeze awaken your senses and stimulate your energy.

The Sidi-Mohammed-Ben-Abdallah museum, close to the medina's Sqala, presents a remarkable collection of regional art works. Marquetry furniture, costumes, jewellery, rugs, a veritable "Ali Baba's cave"! There are also Arabo-Andalusian and Gnaoua musical instruments. Gnaoua music, which is syncopated and accompanied by singing and dancing, is promoted each year in June in an international festival whose extensive programme includes jazz and world music.