Itinerary

1. Discover Arzeila Town

   • Beaches - The best beach near Asilah is Paradise beach just 3km (1.5 miles) south of town. It's very wide and great for building sandcastles, taking a camel ride or picking up a game of soccer. You can take a taxi or even a caleche to get there (horse-drawn carriage). There is also a good beach north from the medina, the further you walk the better the beach.

   • Medina - Asilah's medina is clean, well kept and wonderful to stroll around. You enter via one of the two main gates - Bab el-Kasaba and the Bab el-Homar. Just walk until you get lost, that's generally the best way to experience it. You can always ask a local shopkeeper the way to one of the gates.

   • Church of Saint Bartholome - Just outside the medina, on Ave de la Liberte lies Church of St Bartholome, a reminder of the Iberian influence, and is still in use by local Christians. One of the few churches in Morocco that still ring their bells every Sunday. The church is open to visitors.

   • The Ramparts - the best place to watch the sunset is by taking a stroll along the ramparts in Asilah. It's also where you can take the photo of town you see above. The ramparts were built by the Portuguese more than 500 years ago but have been restored many times since then.

   • Wall Paintings - Asilah has attracted artists for many years and they have left their colorful mark on walls in and around the medina. These wall paintings are sometimes commissioned and always celebrated every July/August during the annual Asilah Cultural Festival. The walls close to schools in the medina are particularly lovely and whimsical.

   • Raissouli's Palace.

   • Shopping - the bazaars in Asilah are good value.

   • El Kamara Tower. This is a renovated Portuguese fortification just near the cultural centre.

   • Fresh fish dishes are delicious in Asilah and other Moroccan specialities over the grill are widely available. There are some fish restaurants along paradise beach and good places to eat along the ramparts.