Morocco, a journey of the senses

More artist than artisan, Yahya is one of Morocco's most important copperware producers. His showroom on Rue de Yugoslavie is full of mirrors, light fixtures and various decorative objects that combine elements of Middle Eastern tradition with modern creation. Reinventing steel, bronze and copper, Yahya is master metalworker with an international reputation.

Rue Majorelle, running along the famous Jardin Majorelle, was renamed Rue Yves Saint Laurent in late 2010. Whether by design or not, fashion boutiques sprung up one after the next. 33 Rue Majorelle was established as a premiere locale on the street, a kind of marrakchie Colette that brings together approximately thirty truly creative designers. Today, the boutique is one of the hippest in the city.

Home of the finest buckskin and leather babouches, this boutique also has gorgeous linen djellabas and beautiful traditional embroidery designed by Abdelali Chabi. Located at 10 Souk Semmarine, once the souk for branding irons.

The type of place where you might poke your head in the door and end up coming out with armfuls of tableware, mirrors, lanterns and wool carpets. Antique dealer, second hand goods salesman and furniture importer, Mr. Blaoui is one of the most remarkable people in the city. Hidden away in the medina at 142-144 Rue Bab Doukkala, his boutique is a true Ali Baba's cave with his own touch.

Organised since 1998, a visit to the Gnaoua Festival on the last weekend of June is a must. In almost 20 years, it has become established as one of North Africa's main festivals. The sounds of the grand masters of gnawa music continue here, honouring the former slaves who were freed. The programme contains: open-air concerts by local groups, World music and US jazz (Marcus Miller, Maceo Parker, Ibrahim Maalouf, etc.) under the great gates of the medina. Party atmosphere and feverish dancing...

Established by the Carthaginians in 500 BC, Essaouira was conquered by the Romans and for a long time thereafter served as a consistent location for the extraction of purple pigment. The port is one of the last remaining shipbuilding yards, producing wooden fishing trawlers. I encourage you to go and see the daily catch, which come in at approximately 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., depending on the weather. Taste fish fresh from the nets and cooked over fire baskets at the end of the pier.

Kite surfers are passionate when they speak about Essaouira, an annual stop on the World Tour. The bay is protected from offshore swells and has a long coastline to the north and good waves to the south for jumps and surf. The wind is stronger than force 4 almost twenty-three days per month, and the water temperature is consistently between 19 and 22 °C. The best company for kite surfing is UCPA, whose headquarters are located on the beach.

The splendid 1934 Art Deco Villa des Arts is one of the most exciting contemporary museums in the country. With nearly 800 works by some of the greatest contemporary Moroccan painters (Jilali Gharbaoui, Mohamed Chebaa, Farid Belkahia, etc.) and international artists, the museum offers splendid temporary exhibitions. Modern art has found a most beautiful setting here.