There's something undeniably Andalusian about the way Asilah glows brilliant white on the dusty crags that emerge from the Atlantic Ocean some 28 miles down the Moroccan coast from Tangiers. That's probably because Spain held sway over these parts for much of the 20th century, and for large portions of earlier centuries, at least when the Berber pirates weren't ruling the roost. 

The upshot is a twisting scent of tapas and patatas bravas in the streets, the pop of Ronda wines, and the mellifluous sound of Flamenco echoing out to meet the crashing waves. All that fuses with a distinctly Moroccan edge, which comes with the maze-like medina at the city's heart, its cute adobe cottages, its scrawling of hand-drawn art murals, and its peppering of cinnamon-infused tagine houses.

Asilah tour guides are also proud of their town's position on a gorgeous stretch of shoreline. Heading either north or south will bring you to hidden lengths of wave-bashed sand. Highlights are the Paradise Beach Kaf Lahmam – a hill-backed dash of golden powder with a few sun umbrellas – and secluded Rada Beach, where there's a chance you will be the only person laying down a towel.