Essaouira, Morocco: A home away from home

By Nina Karnikowski
January 21 2017 - 12:15am
Jardin des Douars, outside Essaouira, is the perfect place to lose a day. Photo: Nina Karnikowski
Jardin des Douars, outside Essaouira, is the perfect place to lose a day. Photo: Nina Karnikowski
Essaouira, Africa's Wind City, from Atlantic Morocco's roof terrace. Photo: Nina Karnikowski
Essaouira, Africa's Wind City, from Atlantic Morocco's roof terrace. Photo: Nina Karnikowski
Atlantic House, Morocco.
Atlantic House, Morocco.
Atlantic House, Morocco.
Atlantic House, Morocco.
Atlantic House, Morocco.
Atlantic House, Morocco.

If Essaouira were a house, it would have to be this one. Rustically glamorous, its curved whitewashed walls nod to the Moroccan seaside town's languid '70s vibes, and the central light well and trio of black-and-white-tiled rooftop terraces renders it sunny, breezy and relaxed. Do my travel companion and I need five floors' worth of space? No, we don't. But one glimpse of the interiors of Atlantic Morocco – this 200-year-old four-bedroom home tucked inside Essaouira's medina – convinces us we do. From the rusted vintage signage and indoor banana palms, to the '70s cushions and Berber rugs strewn across the floors, the Atlantic oozes a warmth and charm that immediately draws us in, hugs us tight, and tells us that we're home.