Once Morocco’s capital, this ancient imperial city is bursting
with colourful mosques, leafy courtyards and towering minarets.
Wander down alleys lined with food stalls (be sure to try briouat,
a puff pastry stuffed with either sweet or savoury fillings from
meat and cheese to almond paste and cinnamon) and head to the
14th-century Merenid Tombs at sunset for views across the city.

Where to stay: Palais Amani, a stylish riad
where interiors are traditionally decorated with tiled floors,
Berber rugs and beautiful mosaiced walls (zellige, the art of
painting and placing tiles, originated in Fez). Head to the hotel’s
spa to book hammam treatments in the rooftop pergola overlooking
the city.

Make like Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart and head to
Morocco’s most cosmopolitan city, where towering skyscrapers are
interspersed between historic Arabic and Moorish architecture and
business-savvy Moroccans break bread with young international
creatives. An ex-pirate port, escape the commercial centre to walk
along the beach and paddle in the Atlantic.

Where to stay: Riad Hamdani offers a welcome
escape from the frenetic city. Wander through verdant gardens
filled with palm trees to find birds drinking from trickling
fountains, sunbeds lined up by a turquoise-tiled pool and cosy,
brightly coloured rooms.

A favourite spot for tortured writers searching for inspiration
(Allen Ginsberg and Truman Capote were often spotted in the city),
Tangier is one for creative souls. Spend days hopping between
boutique clothes shops and craft stores, and evenings popping into
buzzy bars hidden inside crumbling art-deco buildings.

Where to stay: Book a room at Grand Hotel Villa de France,
Matisse’s favourite spot (see: Landscape Viewed from a Window,
painted in room 35). Dine on French cuisine at the terrace
restaurant Delacroix, before sipping on cocktails in the seductive
red-walled piano bar.

With pastel-hued houses, long stretches of sand and fish
markets, this seaside resort oozes bohemian vibes and a laid-back
feel. Dodge past donkey-driven carts carrying bags of spices as you
admire arches adorned with street art, and while away the hours
exploring the medina (a Unesco World Heritage Site) and poking
around in the back rooms of Moroccan crockery and homeware
shops.

Where to stay: Le Jardin des Douars is a walled
hotel perched atop a palm-laden hill. Laze under straw parasols by
the red- and green- tiled infinity pool before feasting on North
African cuisine at intimate La Table des Douars restaurant.

This lagoon-side village is the perfect antidote to Marrakech’s
exhilarating souks. The “oyster capital of Morocco”, come to this
fishing town to feast on freshly caught seafood washed down with
crisp white wine. At sunset, stroll along the beachfront to spot
migrating flamingos and colourful wooden boats as they pull into
the shore.

Where to stay: The Moorish fort of La Sultana lies hidden behind
palm-strewn gardens and round koi ponds. Soak in outdoor whirlpool
baths, order giant seafood platters on the beachfront terrace and
doze off after argan-oil massages in marble treatment rooms.

Filled with ancient mosques, majestic palaces and towering
gateways, it isn’t hard to see why Meknes has earned itself the
moniker “The Imperial City”. Behind the glitz and glamour, stumble
upon colourful riads, cosy tea houses and Moroccan art shops are
tucked away down meandering side streets.

Where to stay: Dating back to the 1800s,
Riad Yacout can be found in the
heart of Meknes’ medina. Catch some rays by the pool on the rooftop
solarium or head to the riad’s courtyard to sip on Moroccan mint
tea by the pond.

A mishmash of culture, this quintessential port town pairs
Maghreb architecture with western touches from its history as part
of the Spanish Protectorate in the early 1900s. Wander through
streets to glimpse colourful murals adorning brick walls and flea
markets selling Berber antiques, or head to the beach to dip your
toes in the sea.

Where to stay: On the town’s main boulevard,
Asilah 32 boasts minimalist
interiors, a well-stocked bar and a sea-view terrace. Book a table
at Le 32 Resto for Moroccan-style dishes made with local
ingredients.

A haven for sunseekers, this Morrocan city has a blissful 300
days of sunshine a year. Visit the town’s Kasbah, dating back to
1541; wander through Agadir’s Sunday market or escape the city to
hike up the Anti-Atlas Mountains (an easier trek than the Atlas
Mountains for those less athletically minded).

Where to stay: Dive headfirst into the
200-square-metre pool at Dar Maktoub hotel, before drying
off by the open fire and dining of French-Moroccan cuisine at the
hotel’s restaurant.