A beautiful artist’s town located 25 miles down the coast of Tangier. It is on the first waves of the Atlantic Ocean that the city of Assilah is ensuring the safety of the place. Sandy beaches are for lovers of relaxation, but also the remains of an almost legendary era. The medina still preserves traces of a Portuguese fortified city that does not deny its Arab roots either. The city will satisfy the curiosity of lovers of water sports, especially surfing.

Assilah is well known in Morocco for its artists, white-washed houses, and cultural life. Its popular festival of culture has made this small seaside town a destination for artwork insiders without ruining its unhurried pace and traditional way of life. The International Cultural Moussem of Asilah has become a cultural meeting place. In August, since 1978 when the Moussem was first established, the city of Assilah turns into a cultural capital, a pilgrimage place for artists of all types and from all walks. Assilah also houses a study center and a large library.

Assilah’s charms beyond the festival: several sublime beaches lie at the foot of the village’s fifteenth-century ramparts, and in the souk inside the Andalusian-style medina, vendors sell Berber rugs, vintage textiles, and hand-painted furniture, all of it authentic and well-priced.