Riad Baoussala is... well, charming, funky and laid back, and only some 9 km from the equally laid back town of Essaouira.

The house encircles a beautiful patio, and is situated at the edge of the forest. Indeed, nature seems to be all around, a Riad hideaway, so to speak, offering six rooms and suites all of which are different and cosy.

And then there’s the garden, roof terraces and the large swimming pool, all of which offer plenty of space for everyone. The perfect place to chill out in keeping with the vibe of Essaouira! About that swimming pool — it is lovely and large, some 15 m x 5 m, and a great place to relax.

It may be a Riad, but the Baoussala provides a full hotel service, with some nice little extra touches, such as no time restrictions for breakfast, the possibility of lunches around the pool and dinners in the courtyard.  The cuisine provided by M'bark, the in-house chef is traditional Moroccan – and delicious.

Being a traditional Moroccan house made of stone it is pretty cool all year round and there is no need for air-conditioning, especially as this area is generally blessed by a pleasant breeze coming in from the ocean.

Now, the Riad also now has a new space dedicated to wellness. It consists of a traditional hammam, an outside bath and a wooden massage cabin. That makes it a great place to relax and enjoy a good massage or scrub skin treatment.

The surrounding area of Essaouira is well catered for in terms of activities including, but not limited to, camel treks, quad biking and horse riding on the beach. Any others we can mention? How about kite surfing and windsurfing in the ocean? That’s just a taster and the Riad Baoussala will be happy to help you organise any activity.

Being surrounded by nature, some 9kms from Essaouira it is probably best to hire a car but alternative forms of transport can be arranged (see hotel board), whatever you choose it would be a pity to not make the most of visiting the traditional souks, the wild beaches, Berber villages and beautiful Essaouira itself.

Make the most of this charming Riad and its surroundings.