Romantic riad & 2 terraces! Stylish and authentic

Elegant, Bohemian charm in the medina with three dbl beds & 1 single; two plant-filled roof terraces, hammock, and two kitchens - one on the rooftop! Ideal for 1-7 guests. This authentic home is tucked away on a traditional residential cul de sac, a one-minute walk from crafts & cafés. Two bedrooms on a landing with shared bathroom; the third in a self-contained roof-top penthouse with pretty en-suite. Downstairs is a fireplace, dining room, main kitchen & Moroccan seating area. SUPER-FAST WIFI! The space PLEASE NOTE: You will have the entire property to yourselves for the duration of your stay. Essaouira is an Atlantic coastal town with a fabulous beach and an ancient medina. The laid-back atmosphere with its subtle Bohemian vibe has been attracting visitors for many years. The Azure House is located in the artisan quarter of the medina - within sound of the sea - in the quiet authentic cul-de-sac of Rue al Mouahidine. Our neighbours are local people and some have tiny workshops where you can stop to watch them make instruments or picture frames. • Very quiet and private, yet located in the heart of the medina. • One-minute's walk to shops/cafés - and two minutes to the fruit/vegetable market. • Six minutes' walk to the beach and port - buy fresh fish direct from the fishermen. • Super-fast fibre wifi and internet access. • Two kitchens - one on the rooftop • Several outdoor dining areas (as well as a formal dining room) for sun & shade. • Netflix and sports channels available for free on the wall-mounted TV. • Romantic bed canopies, Azure House towelling robes and shower gel. • John Lewis high-quality cotton bedlinen, cushions and throws. • Children of all ages are very welcome - we provide a travel cot with all linen. • NEW washing machine - ideal for longer stays. * Please note that there are two flights of stairs in the house, as is standard in the medina, and another short flight on the rooftop to access the top terrace. All have hand rails but please bear this in mind if you have limited mobility. *We have three double beds: An additional single bed is available upon request before arrival. This will be placed in the Sapphire master bedroom if required and made up with cotton bedlinen* Ideal relaxing, comfortable and stylish holiday home for romantic couples, surfers, families, golfers, individual travellers or anyone needing to chill. During your stay, you will have the use of monogrammed Dar Azrak towelling bathrobes and towels. Watch a movie in the evening on Netflix on our wall-mounted TV in the downstairs snug. Loads of other free stations also available, or sign in to your own Amazon Prime account. Dar Azrak - The Azure House - is the ideal location for your stay in Essaouira, less than ten minutes walk from Moulay Hassan Square, the beach, the port and the main places of discovery of the city. It is also an exquisite showcase of high-quality Moroccan craftsmanship including such finishes as: • Tadelakt - the beautiful, labour-intensive polished plaster that adorns the lower living area and bathroom • 'Bejmat' terracotta tiles laid in attractive herringbone style on the ground floor. • Zellige - the intricate mosaics that decorate the kitchen and hammam-style bathroom. • A 'sedari' - a Moroccan seating area where you can relax. THE LAYOUT OF THE RIAD Two of the riad's three bedrooms are to be found on the light-filled first-floor: 1. The Sapphire Room - this has a double bed, romantic bed canopy, writing desk, and built-in wardrobe with beautiful traditional artwork adorning the cupboard doors. There is also room for a cot. There are built-in shelves behind the bed for your personal possessions, and romantic mood lights for night time. * We have an optional additional single bed with duvet which can be added to this room: please note this is a floor mattress. 2. The Opal Room - this has a double bed on a raised platform beneath a romantic bed canopy with warm romantic lights for night time. There are drawers beneath the bed platform, as well as built-in shelving behind the bed for your possessions. There is a built-in wardrobe, as well as further shelves for books, and a small desk. These two bedrooms share a magical hammam-style bathroom on the landing, with turquoise tadelakt plaster walls and a beautiful hand-crafted bath/shower with traditional tiles. 3. The third bedroom is to be found in your self-contained roof-top penthouse, The Larimar Apartment. This birds' nest apartment with a separate kitchen and a lovely en-suite wet room, recently refinished in sky-blue tadelakt plaster, opens out on to the wonderful light-filled terrace on the third floor of our beautiful riad. On the terraces, cobalt blue ceramic pots filled with plants create a lovely place to drink coffee, eat breakfast, or read a book in romantic seclusion. A few steps away at the other end of the lower terrace you will find a well-equipped roof-top kitchen enabling you or your guests to spend as much time as you wish on the terrace, feeling completely relaxed and self-contained, and able to make food and drinks whenever you wish, without going downstairs. With a mosaic table and chairs on the terrace, this makes The Azure House a great option for multi-family/ multi-generational holidays! We have a new covered dining area outside the rooftop kitchen with comfortable upholstered seating and a second table - the perfect place to read a book or eat a meal, whatever the weather - and allowing flexibility for larger groups. Ascending a further flight of tiled steps takes you to The Richard Terrace, an upper plant-filled haven with Marrakesh-style terracotta walls, handmade pots, an L-shaped seating area under a permanent timber sun-shade, and a hammock for lazy mornings. There is also a superb view of a magnificent monkey puzzle tree. After you enjoy the two roof-top terraces, you may wish to spend time in the elegant salon downstairs. Here you can enjoy the sunlight that fills the central atrium and a superb fireplace for cosy evenings. Through an archway is the dramatic dining room with 8ft long table and soft lighting. The kitchen is fully equipped with a brand new fridge, electric oven and gas hob. There is a coffee maker as well as all mod cons to whip up a tagine, or maybe some eggs, toast and a nice cup of tea. Or use our bespoke restaurant service to deliver a traditional meal whenever you wish it. After dinner, you can curl up in the sumptuous back-lit Moroccan seating area, read a book, play a board game or use the whole-house WIFI. PRE-VISIT LETTER A pre-visit letter will be sent to all guests at time of booking, detailing arrangements to meet you as well as giving other useful information including airport transfers, as well as our bespoke tours, treatments and activities. We can arrange many activities including: Horse or camel rides, quad biking, hiking, surfing. Corinne can show you the best shops for artisan handicrafts and house decorations. Essaouira has a beautiful maritime climate averaging 17 degrees in winter and 28 degrees in summer due to the cooling sea breezes (the perfect escape from the searing heat of Marrakesh). As with most traditional houses (dars) and riads in the old medinas of Morocco, the light and fresh air you will experience when staying at Dar Azrak - The Azure House - comes from a central atrium linking all three floors of the house. The riad follows a traditional style of architecture organised on three floors around a central atrium with a glass roof. Sunshine and cooling breezes waft down through the vertical core of the house. Doors and windows open on to the atrium on the first floor, and there are pretty shutters and vintage lace curtains for privacy. There is also a well inside the house - see if you can find it. All the houses in the 18th century medina of Essaouira traditionally drew their water from private internal wells. But today there is lashings of hot and cold water. Children are more than welcome to stay. In fact, this is a magical, fairytale house for children. Morocco is a wonderful place to travel with a family, and the books and games you will find in the house reflect this warm child-friendly culture. We also provide a travel cot for infants, with fitted sheet and coverlet. Please note, we do not currently include breakfast as standard as this is a self-catering holiday let with a private kitchen, not a guest house or B&B. However, we are delighted to provide guests with complimentary fruit and bottled water on arrival. I would love to host you! Please do send a message with any questions you may have! Stop press: We have just received this wonderful review: "1st stay in essaouira, 1st guests of Jane... we had a wonderful stay, thanks to Corinne's welcome, her availability and her help, to the kindness of the inhabitants, to the atmosphere of this city, so welcoming. A big thank you to you! We'll be back." Guest access You will have the entire house, both terraces, and the roof-top apartment to yourselves. Other things to note The house has two flights of stairs (with handrails) and another flight of tiled steps with handrail to reach the upper terrace. There are three double beds and an additional single which can be added to the Sapphire room if required.