Best Brunch in Essaouira — Slow Mornings in the Wind City

Essaouira runs at a slower pace than Morocco's big cities, and its café culture suits a leisurely morning. The town's cosmopolitan, artsy community has produced a good crop of brunch spots, from rooftop terraces in the medina catching the morning sun to seafront cafés on the promenade. The traditional Moroccan breakfast is the foundation — msemen, harcha and baghrir with honey, butter, olives and fresh cheese, plus eggs and mint tea — and Essaouira gives it a local twist with argan oil and amlou, the argan-almond-honey spread that is a speciality of this region.

Alongside the Moroccan spread, the town's international cafés serve the full modern brunch — good coffee, fresh bread, eggs, pancakes, fresh juices and healthy plates for the surfer and traveller crowd. The relaxed, hippie-tinged character of Essaouira means brunch here is unhurried and often eaten late, on a terrace with the sea breeze and, likely, some gnawa or world music in the background. Fresh orange juice, pressed to order, is a given.

To brunch the Essaouira way, go late and give yourself time, seek out a rooftop terrace in the medina or a seafront café for the setting, and order amlou and argan oil with your bread to taste the region's signature. Whether you want a traditional Moroccan morning or a modern brunch, the town does both in its own unhurried, creative style — a fine start before the wind picks up on the beach.