La Sultana Oualidia Hotel

La Sultana has its own organic garden, which provides the ingredients for easygoing lunches under a ceiling of 'sails', four-course barbecues on the jetty and sublime seafood dinners including Oualidia's famous oysters. And don't pass up a tented picnic on the beach either... At the centre of this Moorish fortress, the spa is a sunken vault of relaxation with a hammam, heated pool and rose-infused massages. Overlooking the lagoon, the curved infinity pool (or one of its five surrounding hot tubs) is a wonderful spot to while away a few hours

With a combination of aged stone and tadelakt walls, painted wooden doors and vintage furnishings, the rooms at La Sultana are dripping with charm. Soft blue tones are present throughout, complimented by artwork featuring pretty ocean scenes. The rooms range in size, although the largest is the penthouse Ocean Suite, and each has a sitting area and fireplace, marble-clad bathroom and private terrace with a saltwater hot tub. Dreamy or what? All rooms are soundproof and have aircon as well as complimentary wi-fi.

You could easily spend hours lazing on the beach in a lounger, but if you fancy it, you can kayak, SUP and surf and the gentle lagoon is perfect for learning. Otherwise boat out to nearby wetlands, which welcome thousands of migrating birds, or visit the local oyster beds and learn all about Oualidia's history as Morocco's oyster capital. If you're visiting over a weekend, the Saturday Souk is well worth a browse, and a walk down the beach will take you past the ruins of the royal summer palace.