A Moroccan seaside retreat

The cooling breeze of the Atlantic ocean, taming the searing heat of a Moroccan summer, white-washed walls punctuated by vivid blue windows, expanses of golden sands and a crystal ocean, it's not hard to see why people fall in love with Essaouira.

Recreate your own chilled-out Moroccan seaside retreat with help from Maroque.  Blue and white hand painted ceramics, intricate glass lanterns in blue and white glass casting a myriad of patterns across the ceiling, silver edged tea glasses in the brightest blue.

Silver hands of Fatima to ward off the evil eye, table top lanterns in blue, hand painted screens in the colour of the ocean, a few of these items can help you recreate your Moroccan seaside retreat.

Essaouira is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on the western shoulder of Africa, it is probably the best known coastal seaside town of Morocco, and was a Phoenician trading post for nearly 3,000 years.

Inside its white-washed medina with blue doors lies a city that has been influenced by various cultures (Berber, Carthaginian, Portuguese, English and others).  It was the Jewish traders who once formed the majority of the population and transformed Essaouira into what became Morocco's most prosperous city in the 17th and 18th centuries.  Today it's more for surfers and tourists looking for a chilled out experience.